Tarris Reed is headed to the Spurs, who have traded up from No. 35 to select him with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 draft, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (All Twitter links). Fischer reports that the Nuggets are acquiring two additional second-round picks (Minnesota’s 2028 pick and Sacramento’s 2031 selection) along with No. 35 in the deal.

Reed played for Michigan for two years before transferring to UConn in 2024 for his final two college seasons. After coming off the bench for the Huskies as a junior, the 6’11” big man was a full-time starter as a senior, averaging 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game across 35 appearances.

As Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports writes, Reed is more of a traditional center who blocks shots, rebounds, and can finish around the basket but doesn’t shoot three-pointers and isn’t all that comfortable defending out to the perimeter.

Reed helped the anchor the middle for the Huskies, who reached the final of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to eventual champion Michigan.

Reed, who turns 23 in August, had an impressive tournament showing for UConn, posting four double-doubles, including a monster 31-point, 27-rebound performance in the opening round vs. Furman. He also notched 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks in the team’s victory over top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight.

Interestingly, the Spurs took another big man (Jayden Quaintance) at No. 20, but Jeremy Woo of ESPN says every team he spoke to believed the ex-Kentucky center would likely be sidelined to open his rookie season (Twitter link).

Speaking to the media shortly after he was selected, Quaintance said his surgically repaired knee is “still in a little pain” and requires a second procedure to clean up his meniscus, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News reports (via Twitter). Quaintance’s second surgery hasn’t been scheduled yet and he isn’t sure if he’ll be ready for training camp, Orsborn adds.

Reed presents more of a ready-now option than Quaintance, who won’t turn 19 until next month despite being a sophomore. It sounds like Reed could slot in as the third-string center behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, providing affordable insurance in the middle, at least while Quaintance continues to recover and develop.