Spurs get disappointing Tobias Harris injury update ahead of season opener originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Fresh off of a trip to the NBA Finals, the Spurs felt compelled to more or less run things back in 2026-27, leaving the vast majority of their roster unchanged, save for in one particular area.
San Antonio brought in Tobias Harris, hoping he could be a remedy the perimeter scoring woes that reared their heads in the Spurs' defeat to the Knicks.
Harris projects to play a major role on San Antonio's roster going forward. But those hoping to see him take part in Tuesday's opener should plan to wait a little while longer.
With that, here's the latest on Harris' status after he suffered a left calf strain in preseason.
Spurs get disappointing Tobias Harris injury update
San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson revealed that Harris won't be available for Tuesday's season-opener against the Thunder.
“He’s ramping up," Johnson said, per The Athletic's Jared Weiss. "He’s progressing. He still needs some more progressing on the court.”
Signed in the offseason, Harris was tipped with adding a bit of secondary scoring and leadership to the Spurs' youthful roster. He was a limited participant in San Antonio's preseason, however. Harris was cut down by a left calf strain, missing the remainder of the preseason as a result of the malady.
Johnson's update is little surprise given his prior comments regarding Harris' recovery timeline.
"The seriousness is what it is," Johnson said during preseason, per The Athletic. "We won't rush him at all. I guess the question will be is he ready for the season opener? Totally questionable, and we will not push that at all. So, we'll take it slow. There is no concern of this level of seriousness, and at the same time, we will not rush him at all."
Harris, 34, was the Spurs' lone free agency signing this offseason. He inked a two-year, $31 million deal with the franchise, projecting to be offer scoring punch to a talent-laden side. San Antonio endured some dry spells during its run to the NBA Finals last year. Harris, with his three-level scoring, could be an antidote for those concerns in 2026-27.
With Harris on the mend, expect the likes of Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson to log heavy minutes in the Spurs' opener. Given their contributions to last year's team, that shouldn't be too daunting a proposition.
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