Spurs’ Dylan Harper injures thumb, hopes to return by opening night: Sources

San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper underwent successful surgery Friday to repair a partial tear of the collateral ligament in his left thumb, league sources told The Athletic.

The No. 2 pick in this year’s NBA Draft sustained the injury in a workout Wednesday in San Antonio and elected to have surgery, in hopes of returning for the team’s opening-night matchup against No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 22, the sources said.

Harper, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Rutgers, joins an already robust backcourt led by guard De’Aaron Fox, who recently signed a four-year, $229 million max extension, and reigning rookie of the year Stephon Castle. Harper will most likely come off the bench for the Spurs, with Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes and Victor Wembanyama likely to fill out the rest of the starting lineup.

Wembanyama, the 2023–24 rookie of the year and a first-time All-Star last season, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp at the end of September after recovering from a deep vein thrombosis that ended his season during the All-Star break in February.

This story will be updated.

(Top photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)