On Tuesday morning, the San Antonio Spurs made a surprise addition to their injury report. Rookie Dylan Harper is now listed as questionable due to left knee soreness, raising concerns about his availability for tonight’s Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
What happened to Harper, and will he be able to suit up for tonight’s crucial matchup in the Western Conference Semifinals series?
Dylan Harper Injury Update: Will the Spurs Guard Play in Game 5 vs. the Timberwolves?
The rookie guard is coming off a terrific performance in Game 4 that saw him score 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field while also contributing 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 27 minutes off the bench.
Now, he is dealing with soreness in his left knee. He sustained this injury late in the fourth quarter of Game 4 while attempting to grab an offensive rebound.
Dylan Harper now questionable with left knee soreness.
Happened here. pic.twitter.com/2c4LQBRHk2— Don Harris (@DonHarris4) May 12, 2026
Harper was downgraded to questionable, so it sounds like he will be a game-time decision. Making matters worse for the Spurs is that De’Aaron Fox is also questionable with right ankle soreness, and he is expected to be a game-time decision as well.
Fox suffered his injury in the third quarter when Ayo Dosunmu landed on his ankle while attempting to get to a loose ball. The star guard played through pain and finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Minnesota in Game 4.
It will be interesting to see how these injuries affect Mitch Johnson’s backcourt in Game 5, especially if neither guard can play. Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell would be next in line to start if Fox and Harper are both forced to miss Tuesday’s game. Even if Fox and Harper play, it remains to be seen if they will be limited due to their injuries.
Initially, Victor Wembanyama’s status was in question for Tuesday’s Game 5, as there was some concern that he might be suspended by the NBA after elbowing Timberwolves big man Naz Reid in Game 4. He was ejected for the flagrant-two foul, but the NBA ultimately decided not to suspend or even fine him, so he is all set to play on Tuesday night.
During the playoffs, Harper is averaging 13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 3s, while shooting 55.6% from the field, 40.0% from 3-point range, and 83.9% from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, Fox is averaging 18.7 points, 5.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 3s, and 1.3 steals on 44.4/31.1/68.4 shooting splits during the postseason.
Harper was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, who played a key role on Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal-era Los Angeles Lakers.
Game 5 tips off tonight at 8 p.m. ET in San Antonio and it will air on NBC and Peacock.
