Injury Update: Why Spurs Won't Rush Recovery for Tobias Harris, Jayden Quaintance

"It's a constant, delicate balance," said San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson, who provided updates on the Spurs' two biggest offseason acquisitions.

Oct 12, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1), forward Tobias Harris (23), and center Luke Kornet (7) look on from the bench during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

SAN ANTONIO -- The Spurs' two biggest offseason acquisitions haven't played yet this year due to injuries, but the team is in no hurry to rush them.

Veteran forward Tobias Harris is working his way back from a calf strain suffered in training camp, while rookie Jayden Quaintance continues to rehab after tearing his right meniscus and ACL in his freshman year. While Harris projects to return and contribute sooner, neither has a solid timetable for their return. San Antonio tends to be fairly risk averse with player health, and it's top of mind amid a rash of injuries across the league.

The Spurs have already faced several opponents missing key players, from Anthony Edwards to Jaren Jackson Jr. to Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost a majority of their starting five for the foreseeable future. It feels worse than usual, especially this early in the season.

"We definitely talk about it," coach Mitch Johnson said. "We're in the league, and so you see players and a lot of big-name players and important players to this league... we don't want to see any players go down, but obviously, some of the bigger faces in this league. It's a tricky one, you know?"

Johnson shared some of his thoughts about what might be leading to the unfortunate trend.

"There's a lot of talk about style of play," he said. "It felt like players played less in the preseason. I don't know if that has any correlation or anything, that's just my own observation in terms of looking around the league. I don't know what that had to do with anything, I don't know what guys did all during the off season to speak on that. But I definitely think there's conversations being had because this is something that I don't think anybody wants, and hopefully we can try to prevent it more in the future."

Harris is seen as a potential missing piece for this San Antonio team, signed as a free agent in the offseason as a veteran leader and a versatile wing. As much as he'd like to be out there for the Silver and Black, the team won't do anything to risk his long-term health.

"It's a deal where it's a constant, delicate balance of healing, getting things right, and then getting in shape and conditioning and fitness, and then the style of play, how we want to play in terms of high-end speed and distance that we cover," Johnson said of Harris' ramp up. "There's a lot of things, and he hasn't played a game since the spring."

It doesn't sound like Harris has suffered a setback in his recovery, but bringing him back at anything less than 100% doesn't make any sense.

"He's doing so well." Johnson said. "But we need to just be patient and make sure we get it all the way right and get him all the way right in terms of being ready to prepare to play an NBA game at the style of play that we want. So, yeah, it's just taking it very, very methodically, I think which is appropriate... It's a calf strain, so that's a thing that we've seen can be tricky, right?"

In recent years calf strains have kept players out for extended periods and also increased the risk of more serious and catastrophic injuries. Couple the peril of the injury itself with the level of exertion and lateral explosiveness required by today's game, and caution becomes mandatory.

"There's no magic number, but it's a long season, and these guys play their butts off in terms of the output of energy they give, and I think we just have to continue to be mindful of that," Johnson said. "We also, on the other side of spectrum, feel really good about our depth and our roster, one through 15 and 17 if you include the Two Ways. So it's utilizing all that while also being mindful of all that."

When the Spurs drafted Jayden Quaintance in the first round, they knew he'd need more time to get his body right. As a team with no glaring present need at his position, they could afford to select the youngest player in the draft and give him all the time he needs to get better.

"Jayden is doing great, that's one of those deals when a young man is gonna have a road like that, you just kinda want him to get lost in the process of it," Johnson said. "He's done a great job of that while also being super engaged with his teammates and with the staff."

Quaintance wound up landing on a talented team that can afford to give him plenty of runway to regain command of his explosive athleticism and launch toward his enormous potential.

"I have no expectation other than him pounding the rock in his own way and being around the team as much as possible," Johnson said. "The amount of engagement and participation he's had, whether it's film sessions or practice sessions or sitting in when other people who are getting coached from feedback from the games, I think will be very good for his development."