San Antonio selects Ja’Kobi Gillespie with the 42nd pick
Jun 24, 2026
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 27: Ja'kobi Gillespie #0 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates the 76-62 win against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty
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After drafting two bigs with their first-round picks, the San Antonio Spurs added another guard with their first second-round pick. With the 42nd pick, the Spurs drafted Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a senior guard from Tennessee.
Gillespie was an All-SEC guard in his senior season, averaging 18.4 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 41% from the field and 33.8% from three. Gillespie was known for his on-ball, microwave scoring ability and disruptive on-ball defense. Despite being an undersized guard at 6 feet tall, Gillespie thrived in a tough SEC. He notoriously had 34 points against Texas in the Sweet Sixteen to help the Vols advance to the Elite Eight.
Gillespie gives the Spurs another tough young guard to flank their trio of guards in De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle. It remains to be seen whether Gillespie will be on a standard or two-way contract. Regardless, he’ll give San Antonio another proven collegiate player to provide some depth at an important position.
With the 42nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Ja’Kobi Gillespie!@Ticketmaster | @Vol_Hoops pic.twitter.com/lyqlvzkqc8— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 25, 2026
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