San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant spent the first 40 games of the 2025-26 regular season on the outside looking in. He made 30 appearances, averaging just 7.4 minutes per contest and receiving at least 10 minutes of playing time in just seven of his showings.
That trend has been reversed in recent weeks, with one complementary truth revealing how promising Bryant's emergence as a nightly fixture is: The Spurs are winning when he plays more.
Bryant has appeared in eight of San Antonio's past nine games. During that time, he's averaged 11.3 minutes per contest. The increase of 3.9 minutes on average isn't the only development worth discussing, however, as he's played at least 10 minutes in five of those eight showings.
From playing double-digit minutes in 23.3 percent of his first 30 appearances to 62.5 percent of his past eight, the process of developing Bryant in real time is officially in motion.
Bryant played 20 minutes during a 119-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks after going nearly two weeks without cracking 10. He then had 11 points in 14 minutes during a 123-110 win against the Utah Jazz, and most recently played 15 minutes in a 112-103 triumph over the Orlando Magic.
Though Bryant isn't yet at a place in his development at which he can receive big minutes on a nightly basis, the uptick in playing time is a promising sign considering it's helping San Antonio win.
Carter Bryant is playing more and the Spurs keep winning
Over the past nine games, San Antonio has gone 4-1 when Bryant has played at least 10 minutes and 2-2 when he's either received less or hasn't played. That alone offers reason to be optimistic over the development of a 2025 lottery pick.
What's been most evident during this time, however, is that Bryant is willing to provide consistent energy and effort on defense regardless of whether or not his shot is falling.
For a Spurs team that has a surplus of shot creators and playmakers, that's an invaluable trait. Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama are all guaranteed a healthy share of touches, shot attempts, and even isolation possessions.
As such, Bryant coming into the rotation with the expectation of the same treatment would not only be counterintuitive, but ultimately negatively impact his fit with the team.
Carter Bryant isn't allowing offense to define his impact on Spurs
With Bryant taking a mature approach to finding his place in the rotation, San Antonio's rumored pursuit of a Jeremy Sochan trade has become even easier to justify. Sochan is a talented player, but his offensive game generally requires him to play with the ball in his hands to be effective.
With Bryant figuring out how to provide quality in an off-ball capacity, replacing Sochan has become far less dependent on the return in a potential trade.
If Bryant sustains his rate of improvement, then San Antonio should find it easy to keep him in the rotation. That alone should offer reason to breathe a sigh of relief to anyone who feared that the 2025 lottery pick would be left at the edge of the Spurs' bench.
Long renowned as one of the gold standards for internal development, the Spurs are back at it again with Bryant.