Ahead of NBC's 2026 American Century Championship, which takes place July 10-12 from the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Stateline, Nevada, I got a chance during a Thursday media call to ask former NBA coach and player Vinny Del Negro his thoughts on the San Antonio Spurs going with Kentucky Wildcats big man Jayden Quaintance at No. 20 in the 2026 NBA draft. Del Negro is one of over 85 celebrities in the annual celebrity golf tournament's field, and a former Spur himself.
On a day that also saw former LSU Tigers star and now-ex-Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid shipped off to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball, the NBA once again dominated the basketball headlines.
Here were some notable happenings on the hardwood on Thursday:
Vinny Del Negro trusts the Spurs with the Jayden Quaintance pick
When I asked Del Negro his thoughts on the Quaintance pick, which will include nursing the big man back to health after a torn ACL and meniscus last February, the 59-year-old showed nothing but confidence in GM Brian Wright's call in the first round.
"I don't ever question what the Spurs do. They're always on top of their game as one of a handful of organizations that rarely miss on picks. The Spurs are going to be there with Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper, who was spectacular as a rookie. They're young, they're hungry. They're going to clean up some of their details and some of the mistakes they made, especially defensively, and having those leads and not running their offense the way they needed to. They probably were taking some threes a little quicker than they wanted to, but that's a learning process they're gonna go through," Del Negro told me on the call.
"They know how they want to play and how they're suited, but they have to make some adjustments, and the Spurs will do that. They always do. They're not satisfied. They are a championship organization for a reason, and there's a high expectation there. I expect them to be in the mix for a long time, especially with someone like Wembanyama, who's a generational talent, and kind of brings things to the game we probably haven't seen ever. And he's only going to improve with time."
If there's an organization that should be expected to get Quaintance up to speed, it's San Antonio. The Spurs would probably be in better hands swapping out Mitch Johnson for a more successful veteran coach, a la Mike Brown, but maybe the team's Finals issues that led to the New York Knicks stealing the series, mainly surrounding De'Aaron Fox and blowing a double-digit lead every game, will spark enlightenment and coaching improvement.
Naz Reid headlines LaMelo Ball trade between Timberwolves and Hornets
As for Reid, who helped lead LSU to a regular-season SEC championship and a Sweet 16 bid in 2018-19, he, along with an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks, was sent to the Hornets for Ball and Josh Green.
The blockbuster deal explains why the Timberwolves recently traded away Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets for a minimal return. It also gives Minnesota one of the most explosive offensive backcourts in the league with Ball and former Georgia Bulldogs star Anthony Edwards.
The all-in Ball trade improves the Wolves' standing in a Western Conference that will still go through San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder indefinitely.
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