Spurs’ Josh Primo suffers sprained MCL, expected back for opener

Second-year guard Joshua Primo has suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee, the Spurs announced. However, it sounds like the sprain is relatively minor, as the Spurs say that while Primo miss “the start” of the team’s preseason schedule, he’s expected to be back by the season opener on October 19 against Charlotte.

The No. 12 overall pick of last year’s draft, Primo appeared in 50 games (16 starts, 19.3 MPG) as a rookie in 2021-22, averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.6 APG on .374/.307/.746 shooting. Primo is still younger than many players who were drafted this year, as he won’t turn 20 years old until late December.

Primo, who also spent a decent chunk of time in the G League last season with the Austin Spurs, is expected to have an opportunity for a bigger role in year two after San Antonio dealt All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta this summer. Multiple starting positions could be open for the Spurs as they pivot to a full rebuild for the first time in decades.