LEX 18 — On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, 30 draft hopefuls saw their basketball dreams turn into reality. Jayden Quaintance was amongst those hoping to hear his name called on the opening night of the 2026 NBA Draft, and the former Kentucky center was not disappointed.
With the 20th pick in the first round, the Spurs selected Quaintance. He becomes the first Wildcat to be selected by San Antonio since Keldon Johnson in 2019. He'll also join former Wildcat De'Aaron Fox with the Spurs.
Quaintance played just four games for Kentucky last season after dealing with a right knee injury stemming from his recovery from a torn ACL in February of 2025.
The sophomore made his debut for Kentucky in Atlanta against St. John's in a monster performance. Quaintance tallied 10 points in 17 minutes and also collected eight rebounds with two blocks.
As a freshman at Arizona State, Quaintance played in 24 games averaging 29.5 minutes per game with 9.4 points and 2.6 blocks.
For more on Kentucky men's basketball and all of the Wildcats, join us on BBN Tonight, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18.
