As the 2025-26 NBA Season continues, a handful of teams around the NBA have already seen early returns on their 2025 draft picks.
VJ Edgecombe has been a standout in Philadelphia, while Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Jeremiah Fears and others have also performed well early in their NBA careers.
Another pair of rookies shined in Sunday’s slate of NBA action, as two lottery picks made an impact for their teams in losing efforts.
San Antonio dropped its first game of the season at the hands of Phoenix, but Carter Bryant notched the first double-digit scoring performance of his NBA career.
In 10 minutes off the bench, Bryant logged 10 points, a rebound, 2 steals and 0 turnovers while shooting 4-of-8 from the field as the Spurs fell 130-118. The Suns were led by 28 points and 13 assists from Devin Booker, while rookies Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea all saw a few minutes on the floor.
Bryant entered Sunray’s contest with just 5 points all season, and showcased his ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor in his action against Phoenix. On a team that has been one of the best in the NBA to start the 2025-26 campaign, minutes have been hard to come by for Bryant.
If the 19-year-old is able to turn in a few more performances like Sunday’s, though, he should continue to earn more time on the court as the season progresses.
Bryant was the No. 14 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft after averaging 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, an assist and a block per game at Arizona. At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, the former five-star recruit has enough size and athleticism to be a solid rotation player for San Antonio, but still needs time to refine his skill set.
In Toronto, Grizzlies’ rookie Cedric Coward notched a solid showing as Memphis fell to the Raptors 117-104 without Ja Morant in the lineup.
Coward went 5-of-9 from the field, finishing with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a turnover in more than 29 minutes on the floor. The No. 11 overall pick’s performance continued what has been an impressive start for the 6-foot-5 wing.
Through 7 games, Coward is averaging 15 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 58.7% from the field and 47.8% from 3-point range.
While the Grizzlies sit at 3-4 on the season, Coward has already proved to be a solid role player early in his career.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.