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...
Tarris Reed Jr. Faces The Spurs Test That Could Speed Up Everything
Tarris Reed Jr. has made enough of an impression in Spurs training camp to draw praise from De'Aaron Fox, who pointed to Reeds physical readiness and the progress he has already shown. For a young big trying to settle into the NBA, that kind of early notice matters, especially on a roster where every practice rep can come with extra pressure and a little education attached.
The biggest part of that education is the daily work against Victor Wembanyama, and that is hardly a normal introduction for an early-career center. Reed is being asked to absorb the lessons that come from facing one of the leagues toughest defenders day after day, and if he can turn those reps into real growth, it could help accelerate whatever comes next for him in San Antonio. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Just Sent A Clear Message About Julian Champagnie
The Spurs keep making their offseason priorities clear, and Julian Champagnie is now part of that picture for the long haul. He arrived in San Antonio after being waived by the 76ers and claimed in February 2023, then worked his way from a four-year, $12 million contract into a much bigger role once he became a starter last season.
San Antonio is still sorting out its broader rotation and the competition around the perimeter figures to stay lively, especially with Harrison Barnes back in the fold and several young guards and wings pushing for minutes. The coaching staff has been tweaked as well, so Champagnies new deal says as much about what the Spurs already trust in him as it does about how much jostling still lies ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Preseason Puts Three Rotation Players Under Real Pressure
The Spurs preseason opens Oct. 8, and it arrives with more than the usual tune-up feel for a team still sorting out its rotation. Keldon Johnson, DeAaron Fox and Harrison Barnes all enter camp with real questions attached to their roles, making these early exhibition games feel more like an audition than a warmup. Johnson is still looking to answer for a stretch that left his standing less secure than it used to be, while Fox is expected to show he can bounce back from a disappointing season.
Barnes, meanwhile, is back on a one-year deal and likely fits as a depth piece unless the season takes a different turn. For San Antonio, that makes the preseason more than a chance to get legs under the roster - it is a first look at how the Spurs want to deploy veterans who could shape the season in different ways. If those roles do not settle quickly, the front office may have more options, and more decisions, than it would prefer this early. [Read more 🡒]