Tobias Harris’ preseason debut for the Spurs will have to wait.
The veteran forward is dealing with a left calf strain he picked up in training camp, and San Antonio said Tuesday that he’s questionable for the team’s regular season opener on October 20 against Oklahoma City. Harris also sat out Sunday’s intrasquad scrimmage, and the current expectation is that he’ll miss all five of the Spurs’ preseason games before being reevaluated at the end of the preseason, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
That absence matters because Harris is the only newcomer projected to play a major rotation role for San Antonio in 2026/27. Without him on the floor, head coach Mitch Johnson will have less time to test different lineup combinations, and Harris’ delayed start makes an early run at the starting five look less likely in the short term.
Elsewhere in the Southwest, Ty Jerome appears to be making a strong case to inherit Ja Morant’s old starting point guard job in Memphis. After Morant had filled that role for the past seven years, Jerome has emerged as the early frontrunner for 2026/27, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. GG Jackson II had plenty of praise for the veteran guard, saying, “He pretty much can score on anybody, any day, on any possession, out of any situation,”
Houston has already made one roster decision in the frontcourt. The Rockets waived two-way player Rafael Castro, with head coach Ime Udoka pointing to the team’s depth at center and power forward - Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, Clint Capela, and camp invitee Oscar Tshiebwe.
Udoka told reporters, including Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle, that the team has four or five names in mind as it considers how to fill the open two-way spot. Tshiebwe and wing Julian Phillips, both on Exhibit 10 deals, can be converted to two-way contracts and could be in the mix.
In Dallas, the preseason trip to Macao is being treated as something more useful than a scoreboard exercise. Mavericks head coach Dusty May called it a “fact-finding mission,” saying his focus for the two preseason games against Houston will be on learning more about what his team does well and where it still needs work, rather than chasing wins.
And in New Orleans, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate is changing both location and identity. The team is moving from Birmingham to Kenner and will become the Laketown Squadron for the 2026/27 season.
Renovations at the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center have taken longer than expected after contractors found mold in the ceiling earlier this year, pushing the cost to the city above the original estimate. Even so, Pelicans VP of operations Stephen Pate said the work remains on schedule and the arena should be ready when the Squadron’s season begins next month.
In Other News...
Ime Udoka Faces A Pressure Houston Fans Can Feel Growing
Ime Udoka enters this season with the kind of scrutiny that comes with coaching a team that is expected to win now. ESPN recently placed him near the top of its pressure list for NBA coaches, and it is easy to see why in Houston. The Rockets have reached the playoffs multiple times under Udoka, but the group has yet to get beyond the first round, even with a roster that has been loaded up with talent and a long-term extension already in place for the coach.
Houston has also made clear it is done waiting around, investing heavily in the core while expecting cleaner offense and sharper execution when games tighten up. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson give the Rockets plenty to work with, but the pressure around the group only grows if the spacing still clogs up and the late possessions remain shaky. For Udoka, the next step is no longer about simply getting the Rockets back into the bracket. It is about proving this version can handle the moments that decide whether the season becomes progress or disappointment. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Get An Early Test Against A Rockets Team Loaded With Options
The Rockets will get an early chance to sort through their options when they face the Mavericks in a preseason game in Macao as part of the NBA China Games series. It is the kind of setting that can tell a coaching staff plenty, especially with Houston still evaluating lineups, starting jobs and the way its rotation might settle before the regular season begins.
Fred VanVleet is expected to be back in the mix after missing last season with an ACL injury, giving Houston another established guard to plug into the picture alongside a roster that already has plenty of moving parts. With roles still up for grabs and the backcourt expected to draw extra attention, the Rockets can use these games to see which combinations work best and which players are ready to push for bigger minutes. [Read more 🡒]