Carter Bryant made his summer league debut for the Spurs (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs began their 2025 summer league action with an 82-69 defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat. Without second overall pick Dylan Harper and returning two-way sharpshooter Riley Minnix, the Spurs had difficulties putting the ball in the basket. San Antonio played well enough defensively to keep things close for three quarters before losing their grip on the game in the fourth period.
The Spurs play their second summer league game on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors. That will be their second of three games at the California Classic Summer League. From there, San Antonio will travel to Las Vegas to resume summer league play — with Harper and Minix expected to suit up in Vegas.
Stats – Spurs vs. Heat
spurs heat grades summer league
Spurs vs. Heat – Final Grades
Carter Bryant
The good: Carter passed the eye-test as a big, long, athletic wing with all the necessary physical tools to become a plus defender. His energy level on defense was commendable, as was his communication on that end. Carter grabbed rebounds at the apex and then didn’t hesitate to dribble the ball up the court. Offensively, there were definitely flashes. He shot off the dribble and off of movement. His body control going into his shot looked good and his high-release point was exciting to see. The bad: His defensive impact was limited due to his nonstop fouling. Carter picked up players high on the perimeter but bailed out opponents by getting too handsy on drives. He’ll need to be smarter if he’s to stay on the court in an NBA game. He had three fouls by halftime and five fouls by the end of the third quarter. Offensively, Carter was a little too aggressive looking for his jumpshot. Simultaneously, he was too hesitant on drives; he’d give up on himself before the defense truly closed the door. Carter obviously has work to do in terms of dribbling in close quarters and making the right reads on the move. All in all: Not a bad first outing for Carter. There were glimpses of attributes that would make him more than just a 3-and-D role player — so the Spurs have to be happy with what they witnessed.
Grade: C+
Harrison Ingram
Ingram was on a minutes restriction and wasn’t able to make much of a difference during his 14 minutes of playing time. Offensively, I liked what I saw passing-wise. He makes quick, smart decisions with the ball. Defensively, Ingram uses his long arms to run interference in passing lanes. Unfortunately, he faced several challenges. Offensively, even though he has lost weight since the last time we’ve seen him play, Ingram still looked relatively small, painfully unexplosive and like an unnatural shooter. Defensively, he has to position himself perfectly or else his physical limitations become glaringly apparent. Overall, Ingram played decent-ish but his flaws still look to be fatal to his NBA career, if I’m being honest.
Grade: C-
David Jones-Garcia
The good: Jones-Garcia led the Spurs with 18 points. His ability to get to the free throw line (9-for-10 at the charity stripe) was arguably San Antonio’s best offensive weapon against the Heat. The native of the Dominican Republic looks to be around 6-foot-5, which is really good size for a lead ball-handler. Add in long arms and a motor that has him always hustling and Jones-Garcia is an intriguing prospect. He can handle the ball in traffic and he fully utilizes his long arms to get the desired angles on his shots. The bad: Jones-Garcia had poor shot-selection against the Heat. His ability to finish in the paint against NBA caliber athletes is a big-time question mark. To finish with zero assists while handling the ball as much as he did tells the story of his playmaking struggles versus Miami. Going forward, I think Jones-Garcia has a chance to earn a two-way contract with the big boy club but he has to play better than this.
Grade: C
Nathan Mensah
In the first quarter, Mensah had a pair of powerful blocks and he also drew a charge. That ended up being the extent of his highlights for the night. He did next to nothing the rest of the way.
Grade: C
Omari Moore
Moore got the start and had an outing to forget. He racked up four turnovers and two fouls in 23 minutes while missing all three of his shots. He also had sporadic issues on the defensive end.
Grade: D
Dexter Dennis
Only Bryant played more than Dennis’ 25 minutes. He looks and moves like an NBA athlete. I liked his activity on the defensive end. Offensively, he was engaged and moved well without the ball. His jumper looked smooth and he illustrated dexterity in the paint. Dennis looks like he’d be a good get for Austin.
Grade: B-
Jameer Nelson, Jr.
I’m not the biggest fan of Nelson’s style of play because he’s a shoot-first small point guard — but his skillset was needed against the Heat. With San Antonio’s offense struggling, his ability to make things happen felt like a breath of fresh air. He was on the summer league team last year but he looks a lot more explosive this year. He has burst going to the rim and can elevate. Nelson’s passing, particularly off the dribble, also looks to be improved since the last time I watched him play.
Grade: B+
Kyle Mangas
Mangas had a crafty finish in the paint and handed out a few slick passes — but everything else was a struggle. He’s a non-athlete by NBA standards, which made it hell for him on the defensive end. Offensively, his shooting form looked fine but it was almost impossible for him to get a clear opportunity.
Grade: D+
Osayi Osifo
It was impossible to miss Osifo. He had a pair of impressive dunks (including a self-created banger in transition), he was able to show off his blazing speed for a 6-foot-8 human and he also had time to pick up nine fouls in 17 minutes. The native of South Africa obviously lacks refined skills but he’s mobile, he plays hard and he doesn’t back down. He probably doesn’t have NBA upside but his enticing raw tools give him a chance to make waves in this sport.
Grade: B
Chibuzo Agbo
For a 6-foot-7 forward, Agbo has a really clean looking shooting stroke. He also had a highlight reel drive against the Heat that exhibited patience and smarts. These Spurs need shooters so Agbo is worth keeping an eye on.
Grade: B-
Ibrahima Diallo
Diallo is your standard rock-em, sock-em traditional center. He’s not good at guarding at the perimeter, his hands might be made of cement and his top-heavy frame makes it difficult for him to stay upright while absorbing contact. But he’s 7-foot-1, plays with effort, runs the court hard and has a knack for rebounding — which gives him some value on this stage.
Grade: B-
Josh Uduje
Uduje scored seven points in eight minutes and generally took advantage of his opportunities. His best move of the night was a tough finish at the rim after catching the ball above the three-point line. Considering he was one of only three true rookies for the Spurs along with Bryant and Agbo, Uduje has to be happy with how he performed.
Grade: B+
Mike Noyes
It’s clear that Noyes is basically using these games in California as a preseason of sorts prior to the start of the summer league games in Vegas. The rotation didn’t make a whole lot of logical sense but my guess is his goal was to get a look at as many players as possible. Strategy-wise, Noyes had to be pleased with all the open shots the Spurs got early on … the Silver and Black was just missing open threes left and right. But, yeah, hopefully things aren’t as chaotic going forward. By the time Dylan Harper joins the team in Vegas, let’s hope that Noyes has narrowed his rotation and formulated a coherent rotation.
Grade: C