Spurs' Dylan Harper Reportedly Had Surgery on Thumb Injury, Hopeful for Season Opener

San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper underwent a procedure to repair a partially torn ligament in his left thumb on Friday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Harper suffered the injury on Wednesday and "the hope" is that he'll be ready for the start of the 2025-26 regular season, per Charania.

The Spurs selected the 19-year-old with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Harper wrapped up an encouraging freshman season with Rutgers prior to the draft, averaging 19.4 points and 4.6 rebounds to go along with 4.0 assists per game. He also shot 48.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point territory.

Harper went on to appear in two contests with the Spurs during the Las Vegas Summer league, recording 16.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game despite connecting on just 35.7 percent of his field goals.

He's expected to play a large role in San Antonio's rotation as a rookie and will form one of the NBA's most intriguing young cores alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

Harper will likely miss his inaugural training camp and preseason as he recovers, which could result in the 19-year-old requiring a bit of time to adjust to the NBA level once he returns. Still, it's a promising sign that the Spurs believe that he may not miss any regular-season action.

If Harper is able to return in time for San Antonio's season-opener, he'll face off against the Dallas Mavericks and Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall choice in the 2025 draft.

The Spurs and Mavericks are scheduled to face off on Oct. 22.