Heading into July, the assumption was the 19-year-old former Rutgers star would rest in San Francisco and then take the floor once the proceedings moved to the Las Vegas Summer League.
Whether that means Harper will play in the Spurs’ Vegas opener on Thursday against Philadelphia is still to be determined.
Asked if the plan was still for Harper to debut at some point during the Spurs’ run in Sin City, Summer League coach Mike Noyes struck a cautious tone.
“I don’t know if ‘plan’ is the right word, but it’s the hope for sure,” Noyes said. “We’ll make the decision that is best for the long term, but as a coach and everyone in the organization, we want him out there for sure. He will help us.”