Tarris Reed Jr. looked a lot more comfortable in his second NBA Summer League game with the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
The former UConn center posted his first double-double in a Spurs uniform with 12 points, 12 rebounds, an assist and a block in an 88-84 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Reed shot 6-for-10 from the field, including a missed 3-point attempt, after going just 3-for-10 in his debut on Friday. He was held out of the Spurs’ second game in the California Classic on Sunday so the team could manage his rest.
“Tarris is going to continue to get better. He brings a physical presence; that’s one of the areas that we talked about addressing once our season was over and we’ve talked to him some, I’m sure our guys on the team will talk to him when they have a chance to see him,” Spurs’ Summer League coach and full time assistant Corliss Williamson told reporters after the game. “But for him it’s gonna be about bringing energy, effort, and it’s gonna be a short stint when he gets to the big show.
“That’s one of the things we talked about out here, like, ‘Hey, give us everything you have whether it’s a hard two minutes or a hard five minutes. Whatever you can give us, give us that energy so that you can get accustomed to playing that way.’ And he’s done that. I think he’s gonna bring some physicality that we need. He definitely competes, and that’s what we need from him.”
Tarris Reed Jr. tonight:
• 12 points • 12 rebounds • 6/10 FG pic.twitter.com/IiEaf6YhyY
— Bala (@BalaPattySZN) July 7, 2026
The Spurs have a very specific role in mind for Reed, who was selected at No. 26 overall to add a physicality to their operation after seeing some breakdowns in their run to the NBA Finals last month. That role, which could involve playing alongside 7-foot-4 superstar Victor Wembanyama, has been made clear since he arrived in San Antonio less than two weeks ago.
“The conversation I’ve had with Tarris is just, ‘Hey, if you’re gonna be out there with Victor and these other guys we have, you’re not gonna get a lot of shots. So the way you impact the game is through your physicality, crashing the offensive glass,’” Williamson said.
“What the team needs and what’s going to be required for me down the road is just physical screening, rebounding, defensive presence and just overall having my presence felt on both ends of the floor,” said Reed, understanding his assignment. “You want to play at the highest level, you want to play and be in the game. … Whatever the coach, whatever the guys need me to do, I’m gonna do.
“I feel like just having that chip on your shoulder and just being selfless and relentless at times. Whatever is called for… Gritty, rebounds, physical screens, things that I do pretty well.”
