Feb. 16, 2026, 11:57 a.m. ET

Despite playing a reserve role for the San Antonio Spurs, rookie Carter Bryant stressed that he is taking a patient approach to starting his career in the NBA.

Bryant is averaging 3.4 rebounds and two rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game while shooting 32.1% from 3-point range in 43 appearances. He recorded a season-high 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal on Feb. 10 in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 14th overall pick was among the 10 rookies selected to the Rising Stars Game on Friday at All-Star Weekend, earning his place as a replacement player. He talked about the importance of making daily improvement, even if he isn’t playing with the Spurs.

“I think, for myself, it is working,” Bryant said Friday. “Working, working, working. Whether it is watching film, whether that is getting on the court and actually doing work, whether it is watching my teammates’ film when I don’t get a chance to play in games, it is constantly learning. I’m a competitor. I want to play. I want to compete. I want to help us win games. Understanding my timeline is different than everybody else. I don’t have to have the same timeline as everybody else.”

Bryant has played a larger role with the Spurs of late, averaging 16.7 minutes across six February appearances. He has finished in double figures three times, averaging nine points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 44% shooting from beyond the arc.

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The 20-year-old Bryant even logged an appearance in the G League last month, recording 15 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots on Jan. 9 in a win over the South Bay Lakers. He went 6-of-13 from the field in 29 minutes of action.

After an eventful weekend, Bryant is looking forward to a few days off to reset ahead of the Spurs’ last 28 games of the season. He will continue to build toward the future and be ready when his number is called by coach Mitch Johnson.

“I still believe, at the end of the day, I’m going to look at this in 15-20 years, and there is going to be a lot of people saying how did we pass on this guy?” Bryant said. “Understanding my process, I just have to be patient. Obviously, we have a great coaching staff, and they instill confidence in me every day. The community around me, they speak nothing but positivity and so on. Just grateful to be where I’m at. Just growing day by day. Not rushing my process. Good game, bad game, I treat it the same way.”