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The Kentucky Wildcats had two players taken in the 2026 NBA Draft — Jayden Quaintance and Otega Oweh.
Quaintance was selected with the 20th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, who lost to the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals. Oweh was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost in a 7-game series to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

That said, ESPN’s Ben Golliver wrote about each team and graded each organization on how they performed. The Spurs were given an A, and a huge chunk of that was centered around their snagging of Quaintance.
“Quaintance, a defensive game-wrecker, boasts a sturdy physicality that should perfectly complement Wembanyama’s length and versatility. The only problem, of course, is that he could need extra time to get on the court because of complications after knee surgery,” Golliver wrote.
Oweh wasn’t mentioned in the breakdown of the Thunder’s grade.
The Spurs got a star in Quaintance, especially if he’s able to stay healthy. They really had no need for guards, with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle in the lineup and both still on their rookie contract. San Antonio was able to take a potential home run hit or big swing and a miss with its first-round selection.

Quaintance played in just four games for the Cats this past season. He was a relatively big disappointment after the expectations were lofty following a freshman season with Arizona State. He averaged five points and five rebounds per game, shooting 57.1% from the field, before being shut down due to knee swelling.
For Oweh, he graduated and will now get a shot with a real contender. He has the intensity to make a living on the defensive end and then ideally secure a contract. His summer league campaign will matter quite a bit as well.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: San Antonio Spurs given A, partially due to drafting Jayden Quaintance
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