San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper underwent surgery on Friday to repair a partial tear of the collateral ligament in his left thumb, the team announced.
Harper sustained the injury on Wednesday in an offseason workout in San Antonio. The team is hopeful that Harper will be ready for the regular-season opener on Oct. 22 against the Dallas Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
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The injury came after Harper was limited to two appearances with the Spurs in the NBA Summer League due to a minor groin injury. The No. 2 pick was expected to be ready for the start of training camp on Sept. 30 before his latest setback this week.
Harper was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, four assists and 1.4 steals in 29 appearances. He registered 20 20-point games, setting the Rutgers single-season scoring record by a freshman (564 points).
The 6-foot-6 standout debuted with the Spurs in the NBA Summer League, averaging 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal on 35.7% shooting from the field. He dealt with a minor groin injury and was limited to two appearances.
Harper is projected to be a franchise cornerstone for the Spurs and play a significant role for coach Mitch Johnson next season. The injury certainly came at an unfortunate time for Harper and the Spurs, and the team will be hopeful he won’t miss extended time to begin the season.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Spurs news: No. 2 pick Dylan Harper has surgery to repair thumb injury