Spurs won’t have to look far to discover intriguing 2027 NBA Draft sleeper

We’re still an entire NBA season away from the 2027 draft, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start scouting prospects. Professional scouts are certainly getting some of their homework done early ahead of 2026-27 play, and today, we’re going to do the same by highlighting an in-state sleeper the Spurs should keep tabs on for next year’s draft.

His name is Delrecco Gillespie, and he could be a nice pickup for San Antonio with their second-round pick or as an undrafted free agent next June.

Delrecco Gillespie is a deep sleeper worth monitoring

Gillespie is a 6’8” big man who will be suiting up for the Houston Cougars for his senior year after transferring from Kent State. He has very little fanfare around his name right now, probably because he was playing for a small school, but joining a perennial contender like Houston will give him the opportunity to put himself on the map.

In 2025-26, Gillespie averaged 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks on 50.8/27.0/78.9 shooting splits. He totaled 22 double doubles, tying Cameron Boozer and Hannes Steinbach (two 2026 first-round picks) for the most in the nation. Those are some impressive statistics—certainly impressive enough to warrant a deeper dive into his skillset.

Delving further into his game, Gillespie is a combo big on both sides of the ball who does a large chunk of his work in the paint or at the elbow. One hundred fifty-five of his offensive possessions were post-ups (his most common play type) last season, and he notched 0.95 points per possession in those scenarios, per Synergy.

Gillespie is methodical in his backdowns, and he’ll occasionally settle for tough mid-range shots and hooks that he struggles to make, but he has the strength to barrel through defenders and finish at will when he decides to be aggressive. His football-player-esque frame can overwhelm opponents, and he finds himself at the free throw line often as a result.

Defensively, Gillespie can wreak havoc. Kent State asked him to hedge ball screens, and he showed the ability to both smother handlers and force turnovers and recover to the roll man and deliver some emphatic blocks.

The Michigan native plays an overall rugged brand of basketball that is conducive to winning. Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars will definitely love having him, and NBA teams are sure to be intrigued by him as well.

Gillespie would be a great fit for the Spurs

The Spurs just bolstered their big man room in the 2026 draft, adding Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr., and Maliq Brown. But it wouldn’t hurt them to double down further on toughness and two-way interior prowess in the frontcourt, especially with a second round/UDFA flyer.

With that in mind, Gillespie will be a guy worth monitoring for them. All of his best traits are ones that fit San Antonio’s culture and lend themselves well to competitive hoops. The cherry on top is that Gillespie was deployed in a lot of double-big lineups at Kent State, so in theory, he would be able to do the same with Victor Wembanyama or another one of the centers on the team.

Time will tell if Gillespie can rise to the level of competition in the Big 12 and boost his draft stock on a national level. If he can do that, then San Antonio should absolutely put him on their board for the 2027 NBA Draft.

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