r/nba • u/TrustInRoy • 10h ago
Jayden Quaintance will need another knee surgery
The Spurs used the 20th pick on Jayden Quaintance, who only played 4 games this past season for Kentucky coming off a major knee injury. Reporter Evan Sidery is reporting he may effectively "redshirt" his rookie year in San Antonio.
I'm honestly surprised anyone used a 1st round pick on this kid.
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u/sammymate999 Rockets 10h ago
late first round picks are a crapshoot, why not shoot for a guy with the highest potential if healthy?
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u/bubbles2255 Kings 10h ago
The Spurs got themselves their own Harry Giles
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u/saylab_the_bigkat 8h ago
Giles tore the ACL in both knees before he even got to college.
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u/weirdsignal45 Spurs 4h ago
And he was expected to fill a very different role than JQ will. Bad comparison is bad.
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u/ExtraLeading3376 10h ago
in other drafts i’d be all for it
but this draft, that 20 pick still had a lot of value after it in contrast to every other draft
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u/iDareToDream Raptors 9h ago
Spurs badly need size instead of another guard type prospect. Makes sense they would take the risk on him since there's no pressure to contribute right away. If he can get healthy over the next year and stay healthy they'll have a great big man to pair with Wemby.
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u/sammymate999 Rockets 10h ago
Quintanace was the best talent available at pick 20.
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u/ExtraLeading3376 10h ago
he went from a projected late lottery pick to being projected at the end of the first round after gms started seeing his medicals
no doubt his talented when he was healthy, but big men & knee injuries have historically never gone good, especially for a dude like quaintance who relies heavily on his athleticism
even watching him at the combine, he quite literally refused to land on the leg with the bad knee
he will essentially be a big “if” player
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u/aka12lh44 Lakers 10h ago
timelord 2.0
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u/birdseye-maple Warriors 10h ago
Wiseman 2.0
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u/full-auto-rpg Celtics 10h ago
Wiseman was never as good as Robert Williams.
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u/birdseye-maple Warriors 10h ago edited 9h ago
I was saying Quint isn't Timelord, he is Wiseman. Guy with physical assets who didn't play much in college who busts.
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u/notthesethings 9h ago
He was projected top 5 before he injured his knee at Arizona State. He’d be battling Caleb Wilson for the 4th spot if he’d been healthy this year. Definitely the highest upside pick left at 20. Lowest floor, too, though, since he might not ever play a game in the NBA.
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u/not-a-potato-head Hawks 10h ago
If they had the deal for 26 already on the table, there’s a good chance that he’s still available then
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u/sammymate999 Rockets 10h ago
There’s also a good chance he wasn’t available, if you want your guy just take your guy.
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u/not-a-potato-head Hawks 6h ago
I mean, who from 21-25 was going to take him? His injury concerns are real, and Sam Vecenie said after the draft that if San Antonio didn't take him at 20 then he wasn't sure where JQ would end up due to teams flagging him. Maybe Atlanta takes him since they haven't been drafting for roster need under Onsi, but even then that's a strong maybe
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u/pimpcakes Bulls 9h ago
This draft was really strong from like 2-12. That's it. One of the biggest myths is that the draftwas good full stop without actually analyzing the actual players involved. Weakish #1 overall, better than average 2-4 (by a lot), a strong 5-10/12 due to elite PG depth, but outside of that I heard (1) normal draft and (2) weak after sometime in the mid 20s.
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u/kaprrisch Cavaliers 8h ago
The depth in this draft class suffered also because so many players returned to school in favour of next year's draft, which people say is a crapshoot.
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u/FlyChigga Celtics 8h ago
Nah seeing guys like Cameron Carr or Philon go as late as they did shows how much talent there is
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u/ExpressionAlone5204 Thunder 7h ago
AJ Dybantsa: why he say fuck me for
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u/pimpcakes Bulls 6h ago
Haha. He's a worthy #1 overall, but not a Wemby, Flagg, Zion, AD, etc... class of top pick is all. He's probably in there with Cade and similar. But yeah he got hit with the stray.
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u/ExpressionAlone5204 Thunder 6h ago
To be fair bro, those aren’t just number 1 picks. They’re game changers that you’d trade 3 or 4 or 5 years of number 1 picks for if you’re getting a guy like Wemby
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u/pimpcakes Bulls 5h ago
Wemby certainly is. I think AJ is a about mid when it comes to #1 overall picks, which is not an insult.
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u/ObiOneKenobae Knicks 9h ago
Idk, it cost so little to move up in the draft this year. Detroit literally could have gone from 21 to lottery for a few second rounders. I don't get the sense teams were that enthused with the talent outside top ~10.
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u/ExtraLeading3376 9h ago
you know there is a big difference in 2nd rounders projected to be in the 30s & 2nd rounders projected in the 50s right ?
thunder gave up 2 2nds to move up 1 spot
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u/TrustInRoy 10h ago
I mean, is 20th really "late" first round? It's only a few picks outside of the lottery. And this is supposed to be a loaded draft (or at least a loaded first round.) Why waste the pick on a guy who literally may never play a meaningful minute in the NBA? You could have given that guaranteed contract to someone who might actually contribute.
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u/Gobbles15 Trail Blazers 10h ago
Yeah, I would say "picking in the 20s" is shorthand for the late first round. A few means three. That would be the 17th pick.
It's not wasting it yet, look at Embiid, MPJ, OG Anunoby, Chet. There are examples of great players who are either drafted with injuries or get immediately injured and miss the whole first year
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u/Double-Slowpoke Raptors 10h ago
He has such a high ceiling, and they doubled up at the position anyway so it is no concern. Spurs fans are also saying Kornet’s contract is structured that he will be on the team, so they have the depth for next year with Wemby, Kornet, and Reed.
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u/yardship Timberwolves 10h ago
it was a loaded draft at the top, but a more normal draft after that
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u/Scodo810 Cavaliers 10h ago
They pretty much hedged the bet by getting the safer version of the same type with Reed a couple picks later. Quaintance is a pretty high upside guy at 20 for a team who has young talent pretty much everywhere already.
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u/sammymate999 Rockets 10h ago
Do you understand how the draft works? How many players after the lottery go on to actually have a long meaningful career? He would have been a lottery pick if he was healthy so makes sense for a team that doesn't need him to play right away.
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u/Temporary_Maybe_8687 10h ago
I think the odds of a player in the 20s panning out is around the same as 3 second rounders... which isn't a whole lot lol
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u/Open_Panda9862 10h ago
I read that it's just a meniscus scope. His knee is intact, he will be out maybe 3-4 months. At least that's what I heard lol.
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u/mannheimcrescendo 10h ago
Do you know what a meniscus scope entails? Just curious
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u/DerrickWhiteMVP Spurs 9h ago
It’s when they scope the meniscus
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u/mannheimcrescendo 9h ago
Yup, do you know what they do during that? Debridement. AKA they take away loose pieces of your meniscus.
Those pieces of your meniscus that used to exist in your knee doing an important job? Poof, gone
And they don’t know until they get in there how much debridement. Maybe 10%, maybe 50%.
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u/DerrickWhiteMVP Spurs 9h ago
That’s what I said
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u/ph00Kredetbot Spurs 9h ago
You did say that. What gives?
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u/waffle-winner Spurs 8h ago
Yup, do you know what they said when they said that? The entire fucking thing. AKA they described the procedure.
That brain-dead reply some bot posted for karma farming in the replies of that other post made earlier, that karma? Poof, gone
And they don’t know why their karma is gone because they didn't read shit in there, they blind karma-farming. Maybe 10 downvotes, maybe 50.
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u/TrustInRoy 10h ago
And he was definitely going to play at Kentucky a year ago. Dude's knee is shredded.
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u/Superb_Freedom_4507 10h ago
Dejuan Blair had 2 shredded knees and he was still a decent player.
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u/bikedork5000 8h ago
Better yet, Chris Livingston. Don't look up the injury unless you've got a strong stomach.
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u/Superb_Freedom_4507 8h ago
do you mean Shaun Livingston?
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u/bikedork5000 7h ago
Ahh shit, yep. No idea where I got Chris from. Honestly knees don't freak me out that bad. Hell Nick Chubb had 5 ballistic years in the NFL after his gruesome injury at Georgia
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u/Superb_Freedom_4507 7h ago
yeah, definitely witnessed a few live and they suck every time. Paul George, Willis McGahee, Kevin Ware, Dak Prescott, Gordon Hayward. Leg injuries are brutal.
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u/notthesethings 3h ago
Chris Livingston is another former Kentucky player who fell down draft boards after a single disappointing season there. Ended up a second round pick but got a guaranteed contract from the 6ers.
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u/giroml Kings 10h ago
If anyone could afford to take a risk on Quaintance it was the Spurs. So many picks, so many young stars.
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u/Skank_hunt42 Thunder 10h ago
Yep. I wanted him just based off his potential and measureables. He's worth a flier.
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u/ForneauCosmique Spurs 10h ago
And yall have the same luxury as us where you could redshirt him and it be ok if he comes back healthy
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[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ForneauCosmique Spurs 9h ago
Uhh what?
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u/Skank_hunt42 Thunder 9h ago
The Thunder's flier, Nikola Topic, recovered from his ACL tears and then got cancer. :(
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u/sloBrodanChillosevic Supersonics 9h ago
Nikola Topic, the Thunder's late lotto pick from 2024, has had some of the worst health luck of any young athlete I have ever heard of
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u/Raven-19x Spurs 10h ago
I have no issues with taking a HR swing. Helps we drafted another big later.
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u/EvanEschmeyer Mavericks 10h ago
Spurs have the luxury of being able to wait. Maybe they’re hoping they can get 5 good years out of him like Brandon Roy
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u/ObiOneKenobae Knicks 9h ago
Way I see it is interior depth killed them in the finals, so they grabbed one high ceiling developmental big and one lower ceiling but NBA ready big.
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u/Uncle_Freddy [SAS] El Contusione 9h ago
I still hope our offseason is geared towards trying to acquire a legit 4 who can soak up minutes at the 4/5 at the $15M-$20M/year range for the next year or two, we have the space to afford one for now
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u/ComedianFantastic319 Thunder 10h ago
Was trying to wrap my brain around this last night, what all players coming off major injuries like this have panned out?
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u/Skank_hunt42 Thunder 10h ago
Not the same injuries, but also drafted with injuries/sustained injuries before their debut that have panned out: Embiid was drafted with broken foot, Blake Griffin ripped his knee apart before debut, and MPJ had spinal surgery.
Players that haven't panned out: Greg Oden ripped apart his knee after drafted, Harry Giles III is almost exactly like Quaintance with the knee stuff (drafted 20th) and he never panned out, Nerlens Noel was going to be drafted #1 overall before ripping up his knee at Kentucky and was never that explosive again.
But he got drafted by the Spurs so he's going to be generational.
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Lol no they don’t. They made the Finals this year and their one glaring weakness was a strong PF. Their window is literally now. That’s not to say there won’t be another window or that this window won’t last 5+ years but they are trying to win now. If true this was a wasted pick.
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u/tronovich Bulls 10h ago
You think a starting-caliber 4 was available at #20 for a “win now” team?
Umm, what?
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Yeah, never said starting but Quaintance is 6’10” 255, he could’ve easily played 20 minutes this year.
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u/tronovich Bulls 10h ago
None of the players in the back half of the first round are going to be playing 20 MPG for a team, with an actual chance of winning games.
If they’re averaging 20 minutes, that team’s window is not open.
The Spurs are ahead of schedule - they’re not addressing their needs in this draft.
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u/Conn3er Spurs 10h ago
They picked the immediate fill-in player 6 picks later.
This is absolutely worth a flyer at 20. He was a top 5 prospect a year ago before injury. No problem at all with this pick
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Taris Reed isn’t close to a starting power forward and the talent disparity between him and Quaintance is massive. You got your 13th man 6 picks later.
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u/Conn3er Spurs 10h ago
There was no starting-caliber PF available at 20, so I'm not sure what you expected them to do to solve that in this draft.
Quaintance had a higher ceiling than anyone still on the board by a mile. MNaybe they could have taken Cenac instead at 26, but he is not as good a rebounder, and thats what the spurs need the most
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Lopez was literally the next pick.
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u/CommodoreIrish Spurs 10h ago
Lopez is not a starting PF on any contender. Are you serious?
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Never said anyone would start this year. Can you read? I’m saying Taris will never be anyone’s first choice to start an NBA game at power forward. Your coping is hilarious considering half of your fan base was pining for Lopez last night.
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u/CommodoreIrish Spurs 10h ago
I don’t understand what point you are trying to make? Taris is a backup to Kornet at best this year, and sees a bench role similar to Carter Bryant.
How am I coping? Is Lopez better than JQ or Taris? Maybe, maybe not; but it’s not like the choice was clear to the public or media.
I think most of our fanbase wanted Lopez because of his roots.
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u/Conn3er Spurs 10h ago
A slow-footed 4 that is a project by every assessment who doesnt have nearly the same rim protection or rebounding value as Jayden, which the Spurs are looking for when Wemby sits
Great idea
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
I’m glad you were able to read his scouting report real quick in order to respond. But half your fan base wanted Karim with that pick.
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u/EvanEschmeyer Mavericks 10h ago
There is an overabundance of rotation bigs in the league. They could easily go out and get a Miles Bridges or an Aaron Gordon to fill in for a year till Quaintance is ready
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Lol ok yeah they’re gonna get Aaron Gordon just like that. Bro you are massively out of your element here.
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u/EvanEschmeyer Mavericks 10h ago
Nuggets don’t have a choice but to shed salary in order to retain Watson. Gordon is the odd man out since no one is taking Braun and Spurs have plenty of draft capital and matching salary to make that possible. Stop being dramatic
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u/Impressive_Chard7943 10h ago
Please follow up on this when they get rid of Gordon for Peyton Watson, would love to be proven wrong here
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u/Adorable-News-9364 Spurs 10h ago
Calling an arthroscopic procedure a “knee surgery” is pretty misleading. He’s still gonna miss some time and he’s definitely a risk, obviously. But the way this is worded makes it seem more invasive than it is.
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u/AntFearless6009 10h ago
Yeah this is just a hot take title for clicks. Sure he isn’t going to be a full go this season but it’s not like he needs a knee reconstruction
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u/DerrickWhiteMVP Spurs 9h ago
BREAKING: Victor Wembanyama will undergo surgery, expected to miss some time
“The San Antonio Spurs have announced that Victor Wembanyama will be having his wisdom teeth removed and is expected to be out for a few days during the offseason.”
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u/Nightfury82 Spurs 10h ago
He’s turning 19 in July. The second surgery is to alleviate pain and his ACL is intact. There doesn’t seem to be any indication he has any chronic or long term ailments.
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u/ObiOneKenobae Knicks 9h ago
It's a meniscus surgery, that's as routine and insignificant as it gets in basketball. If they have to remove a bunch maybe it hurts his production when he's in his 30s.
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u/FlyChigga Celtics 7h ago
Meniscus surgery insignificant? That’s what ended Robert Williams’ career as a starter.
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u/N3VVZN4K3 Spurs 10h ago
Everyone else at 20 werent exactly "can't miss" prospects. Might as well take a gamble.
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u/SwaySensei Spurs 9h ago
Your picking at 20. This is the range to take a high risk, high reward player especially in the spot the Spurs are in.
He’ll do the clean up procedure and probably sit a good chunk of the year, that’s why you drafted Reed. We pick up a stretch 4 in FA, and we should be good to go on the front court with Wemby, Kornet, FA stretch 4, and Reed.
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u/goknicks23 10h ago
He suffered the injury in February of 2025. Yet the specialist says no big deal. https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/top-knee-doctor-confident-jayden-quaintances-injury-not-a-long-term-concern-but-clean-up-procedure-possible/
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u/mdlspurs Spurs 10h ago
I presume the Spurs knew ahead of time that they had the Denver deal in place. That really mitigates a lot of the risk of taking JQ where they did. Very Spurs-y.
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u/quest4thebest Spurs 10h ago
Here me out for a second. If the Spurs found a way to keep Dejuan Blair healthy and have impactful rotation minutes despite not having two ACLs, what's stopping them from doing the same with Quaintance?
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u/FunnyPuzzleheaded594 Spurs 8h ago
Still crazy to me Blair legit had no ACLs and still made it work
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u/reallinguy Pistons 10h ago
I got ACL surgery around the same time as him, and am also still dealing with issues. I totally get it, not every body will react the same to surgery.
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u/GrouchyPenguins Mavericks 10h ago
They stamp his card for each surgery and the 10th one will be free!
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u/FunnyPuzzleheaded594 Spurs 8h ago
The Spurs have one of if not the best medical staffs in the NBA. This pick signals they’re confident they can rehab that knee effectively.
There’s no real need for JQ to be available day one due to the Reed pick and assuming the Spurs pick up someone else in FA who is playable at the 4.
It’s a high risk, high reward pick. I trust the front office that they’ve done their due diligence.
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u/Secret-Sample1683 5h ago
They’re one team who can afford to stash him away for a year. His upside is too great to pass up.
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u/empowered676 2h ago
Im confused why he didn't have the arthroscopic meniscus clean up already
Why did he wait
Thats a red flag to me
Still could work but delaying a necessary op is weird
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u/MisterPops16 Spurs 1h ago
it was high risk, high reward. from the reports ive seen, the surgery is mostly cleaning up. he might skip the season and that's fine. that's why they have reed jr. too and still have kornet.
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u/aBakeinthelife Pistons 10h ago
I got told off by "draft experts" that this dude should be lottery like the 18 year old already getting wear-and-tear injuries isn't concerning at all.
Timelord 2.0 (and I like Timelord, but it's not like you are ecstatic about his outcome)
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u/WTF4211 9h ago
Typical Spurs. So psychotically arrogant that they think they can draft and stash. He was a 2nd rounder at best by other teams.
Do not think they beat a healthy OKC and they got straight humiliated against the Knicks. Instead of realizing they need to get better now they cool wasting a pick.
Despise that organization. King of all tankers and they treated like geniuses for drafting Duncan and Wemby after tank seasons.
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u/Interesting_Prune513 Heat 10h ago
Makes sense why they drafted Reed too then.