San Antonio Spurs select Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance with No. 20 pick in 2026 NBA Draft

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The San Antonio Spurs held the 20th pick in the 2-26 NBA Draft and used it to select Kentucky forward-center Jayden Quaintance on Tuesday night.

The pick gives the Spurs one of the draft’s highest-upside frontcourt prospects to pair with a young core that just made it to the NBA Finals.

What we know:

Quaintance is a 6-foot-9, 253-pound big man who spent his freshman season at Arizona State before transferring to Kentucky. The former five-star recruit entered the draft despite having his college career interrupted by knee injuries that limited his playing time over the past two seasons.

Despite the injury concerns, Quaintance remained a coveted prospect because of his size, athleticism and defensive potential. Appearing in just four games for Kentucky during the 2025-26 season, the big man continued recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his freshman year. Even with the limited sample size, NBA teams remained intrigued by his physical tools and developmental potential.

Scouts have praised his shot-blocking ability, rebounding and versatility around the basket, viewing him as a player with significant long-term upside if he remains healthy.

What's next:

The Spurs are coming off a return to an NBA Finals appearance behind MVP runner-up Victor Wembanyama. To add another young frontcourt talent to a roster built around length and defensive versatility, gives San Antonio a developmental prospect who could eventually provide rim protection, rebounding and interior scoring alongside the franchise centerpiece.

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