Spurs rookie forward Jayden Quaintance underwent surgery to repair meniscus damage in his right knee, the team announced Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Quaintance, whom the Spurs selected with the 20th overall pick in last month’s NBA draft, came to the club with a history of knee issues.
He suffered a torn ACL as a freshman at Arizona State before transferring to Kentucky, where last season he was limited to only four appearances.
The Spurs were aware of the looming meniscus procedure when they drafted the 6-foot-9, 253-pound big man.
“We do our homework and we’ve got a great medical team that’s very thorough in their analysis and process,” general manager Brian Wright said. “We spent time with his representatives going through where he is in his rehabilitation process and what the options are. We got comfortable about what that looks like today and then the long-term prognosis as well.”
The Spurs provided no specific timetable for Quaintance’s recovery. He had not been participating with the rest of the team’s rookie class at NBA Summer League while awaiting surgery.
Quaintance said he was willing to exercise patience while he waits for his NBA career to get off the ground.
“They said their priority is making sure that I’m 100% healthy,” Quaintance said. “So just trusting the medical staff here, that they’re going to be in the best position to be successful.”