Dylan Harper’s Calf Injury: 2025 No. 2 Overall Pick to Miss Multiple Weeks

Just when San Antonio Spurs fans were getting used to seeing Dylan Harper flash his considerable talents off the bench, reality decided to crash the party in the cruelest way possible. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is reportedly facing a multi-week absence after suffering a left calf strain during Sunday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Because apparently, the basketball gods looked at the Spurs’ injury report and thought, “You know what? This needs to be longer.”

Harper exited the game in the second quarter while attempting to defend a Nick Richards dunk, because playing defense is apparently hazardous to your health in 2025. The sight of him hobbling to the locker room, followed by reports of crutches and a walking boot, sent a collective groan through the Alamo City. An MRI performed on Monday in Los Angeles confirmed what everyone feared: a calf strain with no definitive timetable for return. Translation? The Spurs are about to find out just how deep their roster really is.

What Happened to Dylan Harper?

Let’s set the scene. Sunday night in Phoenix, Harper is doing what he does best, playing hard-nosed defense and proving why he was worth that No. 2 pick. Then Richards goes up for a dunk, Harper contests, and in an instant, everything changes. He came down awkwardly, immediately signaling to the bench that something was wrong. You could see it in his face—that moment when an athlete knows they’re hurt, not just banged up.

The former Rutgers standout left the arena on crutches and wearing a walking boot, which is never a good sign unless you’re trying out for a medical drama. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Harper is expected to miss “multiple weeks,” which in NBA-speak could mean anything from three weeks to “we’ll let you know when we know.” The Spurs haven’t provided a specific timeline, probably because modern sports medicine has taught us that calf injuries are about as predictable as Texas weather in March.

Harper’s Impact on the Spurs This Season

Before this injury derailed what was shaping up to be a stellar rookie campaign, Harper was making a legitimate case for Rookie of the Year consideration. Through six games, the 19-year-old was averaging 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while coming off the bench. Not bad for a teenager still figuring out where the good taco spots are in San Antonio.

What made Harper’s early-season performance even more impressive was his efficiency and basketball IQ. He wasn’t just putting up numbers—he was making winning plays. His ability to run the pick-and-roll, combined with a surprisingly mature understanding of when to push the pace and when to pull it back, had Spurs fans dreaming of a backcourt future that includes both him and Victor Wembanyama dominating for years to come.

The third-best scoring average among rookies doesn’t happen by accident. Harper had been outscoring everyone except VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies. Not too shabby for someone still adjusting to the NBA’s grueling 82-game schedule and learning that college defense was basically a suggestion compared to what professionals bring every night.

The Spurs’ Growing Injury Concerns

Here’s where things go from bad to worse. Harper’s injury isn’t happening in a vacuum—it’s the latest addition to what’s becoming a San Antonio injury ward that would make a MASH unit look understaffed. The Spurs are already dealing with a laundry list of ailments that reads like a medical textbook:

• De’Aaron Fox (strained right hamstring)
• Jeremy Sochan (sprained left wrist)
• Luke Kornet (sprained left ankle)
• Kelly Olynyk (left heel surgery)
• Lindy Waters III (eye procedure)

At this point, the Spurs’ training staff deserves hazard pay. The team’s depth chart is starting to look like a game of musical chairs where nobody wins and everyone just ends up in the training room. Fox’s hamstring injury is particularly concerning because there’s still no clear timetable for his return, which means the Spurs are now without two of their key backcourt pieces for the foreseeable future.

How the Spurs Will Adjust Without Harper

Despite the mounting casualties, San Antonio has somehow managed to start the season 5-1, their best start in franchise history. Which either means they’re incredibly resilient or they’ve been stashing secret players in the practice facility. With Harper out, expect to see more of Stephon Castle running the point. The reigning Rookie of the Year has already been thrust into a bigger role due to Fox’s absence, averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Not bad for someone who’s probably still getting used to the legal drinking age.

The silver lining, if you can call it that when your second-overall pick is sidelined, is that the Spurs still have Victor Wembanyama. The former Rookie of the Year and legitimate MVP candidate is putting up video game numbers: 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. Wembanyama has essentially decided that if the injury bug wants to feast on his teammates, he’ll just have to carry the load himself. And so far, it’s working.

The Road Ahead for Harper and San Antonio

The Spurs’ next test comes Wednesday when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers, and every game after that becomes crucial for maintaining their surprising start. Without Harper’s scoring punch and playmaking off the bench, head coach Gregg Popovich will need to get creative with his rotations. Expect shorter leashes for role players and probably some lineup combinations that make you scratch your head until they somehow work.

For Harper, the focus now shifts to recovery and rehabilitation. Calf strains are tricky, rush back too soon and you risk a more severe injury that could sideline you for months. Take too long and you lose the momentum you’ve built. It’s a delicate balance, and at 19 years old, the smart play is patience, even if that’s not what anyone wants to hear.

The good news? Harper has already shown the maturity and skill set that made him the No. 2 pick in the first place. This injury, as frustrating as it is, doesn’t change his trajectory, it just delays it. When he does return, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove he’s worth all the hype that followed him from Rutgers to San Antonio.

Until then, Spurs fans will have to settle for watching Wembanyama do his best superhero impression while hoping the injury report finally starts shrinking instead of growing. Because at this rate, San Antonio might need to start holding open tryouts just to field a complete roster.