Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs: preview and player stats

Strawther (knee) was diagnosed with a left knee sprain Friday and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports. Strawther suffered the injury in Wednesday's preseason game against the Clippers. The 24-year-old has appeared in 172 regular-season games for the Nuggets since entering the league in 2023, averaging 7.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists over 16.2 minutes per contest. He was in line to compete for an expanded role during the 2026-27 campaign. While that may be the case once Strawther is cleared to suit up, Tyus Jones and potentially Ryan Nembhard are candidates to receive more minutes in the interim.

Vassell (adductor) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Bulls, Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio reports. Wednesday marks a second consecutive absence for Vassell due to an adductor injury. His void in the starting lineup paves the way for Julian Champagnie to draw a second straight start on the wing for the Spurs.

Harris (calf) is out for Wednesday's game against Chicago, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports. With Harris still sidelined, San Antonio will rely more on Julian Champagnie. Harris has yet to make his Spurs debut this season, so his absence continues to leave minutes available on the wing until he is cleared to return.

Quaintance has been around the team but has not yet been cleared for basketball activities, Matt Guzman of SI.com reports. The Spurs are expected to exercise extreme caution with the big man, as Quaintance suffered a torn ACL and meniscus with Arizona State in February 2025 before appearing in only four games with Kentucky last season due to severe complications and persistent swelling. The 19-year-old underwent a cleanup procedure on his meniscus in mid-July, and the Spurs will likely want him at 100 percent before ramping him up to basketball activities.