Inevitable Carter Bryant reality should excite Spurs and terrify rest of NBA

Lost in the San Antonio Spurs' wild success this season has been the surprising development of rookie Carter Bryant. The Spurs selected Bryant 14th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, and many expected him to be a project, myself included.

For the first three months of the season, we were right. Fortunately, he has quickly found his footing. Bryant has transformed into a completely different player since being sent down to the NBA G League.

He appears much more confident and knows exactly where he needs to be on offense. Defensively, he is already an above-average defender as a rookie, with his potential on that end of the floor being sky-high.

So much so that he could soon start for the Spurs if he continues to develop at a rapid pace.

Carter Bryant will be a starter for the Spurs next season

The best-case scenario for Bryant has always been to eventually start, but if he emerges as a starter as soon as next season, it would be massive for San Antonio.

He's already an above-average shooter, with him hitting 40% of his 3.5 3-point attempts over his last 17 games. That means that he could play with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama and not hurt the starting lineup's spacing.

He could also make that lineup almost impossible to score against. Obviously, there's Wembanyama, who practically shuts down the paint, and Castle, who is a pit bull on defense. As for Fox, Vassell, and Julian Champagnie, they range from solid to good defensively.

That's far from bad, but having another elite perimeter defender would be a game-changer for San Antonio.

Carter Bryant can be Jeremy Sochan 2.0 for the Spurs

Imagine Bryant hounding opposing wings by cutting off driving lanes, effortlessly navigating screens, and blocking shots or forcing turnovers.

Now put him alongside Castle, Wemby, and two other capable defenders. That could have all the makings for a top-ranked defense in the NBA while still being able to score at elite levels.

Ironically, in the four seasons that Jeremy Sochan was on the Spurs, he never showed anywhere near the level of shooting ability that Bryant has. While he was arguably better defensively, shooting was a swing skill that Sochan never mastered.

The Spurs have a diamond in the rough with Carter Bryant

It's a swing skill for Bryant, and it's hard not to be excited about his offensive potential. Not just his ability to knock down threes either. He's a terrific athlete and could be a threat in transition and as a straight-line driver when attacking closeouts.

Dare I say, he reminds me of a young Kawhi Leonard but is far more athletic and has better shot mechanics. The Spurs should certainly hope so—without the uncle issues.

With regular NBA minutes to refine his game and plenty of time before next season, it's entirely possible that he could be ready to start by then. Just the fact that it's a possibility this soon after he was sent down to the G League after struggling is shocking.

Credit to coach Mitch Johnson for sticking with Bryant, who might not have played nearly as big of a role as a rookie on a playoff team under another coach.