Spurs’ Lindy Waters III Ruled Out For Season Opener

San Antonio Spurs swingman Lindy Waters III will miss the team’s final preseason game Friday, the 2025-26 season opener, and potentially “another game or two” due to an upcoming procedure to correct a lingering eye issue, a team spokesman announced.

Lindy Waters III Signed One-Year Deal With Spurs

Per Spotrac, Waters joined the Spurs over the summertime on a one-year, $2.46 million contract. Approximately $500,000 will become fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2026.

Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan will also miss the team’s season opener at Dallas on Oct. 22 after an MRI confirmed a sprained left wrist. Sochan was injured at practice Wednesday during a five-on-five drill as he neared a return from a strained calf.

Per @JacobRTobey, Lindy Waters III has been downgraded to OUT for tonight’s preseason game, as well as the #Spurs‘ regular-season opener.

An “eye issue” was caught during the shooting guard’s preseason physical. He’ll have a procedure soon. Target return after Oct. 31. #PorVida

— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) October 17, 2025

Sochan injured his calf in August while practicing with the Polish national team. The calf injury forced him to miss the EuroBasket tournament as well as San Antonio’s preseason schedule.

In addition, San Antonio will open the season without De’Aaron Fox, who is rehabilitating a strained hamstring. The Spurs said Fox and Sochan are both expected to return by the second or third game of the season, per The Associated Press.

Lindy Waters III Went Undrafted In 2020

After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Waters signed with the Enid Outlaws of The Basketball League (TBL) in March 2021. In 17 games, he averaged 12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. The 6-foot-6 guard then inked a deal with Palmer Alma Mediterránea of the LEB Oro.

In October 2021, Waters joined the Oklahoma City Blue, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G League affiliate, after a successful tryout. He averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in his first season with the team.

Waters spent his first three NBA seasons with the Thunder.

Following several exceptional outings with the Blue, the Thunder signed Waters to a two-way contract in February 2022. He logged 8.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 18.6 minutes in 25 games (one start) with OKC.

In the Thunder’s 136-118 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 30, 2022, he recorded a career-high 25 points on 9-for-15 (60%) shooting from the floor and 7-of-13 (53.8%) from 3-point territory.

Waters finished last season with the Detroit Pistons after playing with the Golden State Warriors until the trade deadline. He was acquired by Detroit in the multi-team blockbuster deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State.

The Oklahoma State product played 38 games (nine starts) for the Warriors, averaging 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 17.2 minutes per contest. Golden State acquired him in a draft-night trade with the Thunder.

Through 156 career NBA regular-season games (10 starts), Waters has averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 13.2 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .399/.366/.789.