How the San Antonio Spurs could line up with Dylan Harper

David Schneidman Updated: Jun 26 2025 00:18

The San Antonio Spurs selected Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Harper, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, played one year at Rutgers alongside fellow top draft prospect Ace Bailey before committing his future to the NBA. Despite a college career that ended without making the NCAA Tournament, Harper showed why he was widely considered the second-best player in this draft class.

In his freshman season, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 48.4% FG and 33.3% 3P. His season-high was 37 points (11/19 FG) against Alabama, one of the top teams in the country, on November 27, 2024.

In Rutgers’ Big Ten tournament loss to USC, Harper dropped 27 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

While he didn’t have the chance to show it in March Madness, Harper did all he could to prove he is a big-game player.

Let’s take a look at how he could fit into the Spurs’ rotation in his rookie year.

2025/26 San Antonio Spurs potential starting five and rotation

Starters

PG De'Aaron Fox
SG Stephon Castle
SF Devin Vassell
PF Harrison Barnes
C Victor Wembanyama

Bench

PG Dylan Harper
SG Julian Champagnie
SF Keldon Johnson
PF Jeremy Sochan
C Bismack Biyombo

It’s not often you see a No. 2 overall pick start his rookie year on the bench, but that could be the case for Harper as he begins his career in San Antonio.

De’Aaron Fox, who was traded to the Spurs from the Sacramento Kings mid-way through the 2024/25 season, and Stephon Castle, the 2024/25 Rookie of the Year and No. 4 overall pick by the Spurs a year ago, are likely the starting backcourt next season.

If those two are the starters, Harper will be a quality punch off the bench, although San Antonio will try to get him on the court at the same time as all-world talent Victor Wembanyama.

Harper is a dynamic, shifty, playmaking guard with elite size (6-foot-5) and strength. He isn’t the purest scorer or passer we’ve ever seen, but his athletic traits and ability to score at the rim, plus intangibles many scouts believe he possesses, make him a great fit for any NBA backcourt.

Plus, he’s only 19, so we can assume he will build on any positive signs from his rookie year.

If Harper comes off the bench, he can lead the second unit and put up more shots (and make more mistakes) than if he started alongside Fox and Wembanyama. Harper can play as the primary ball-handler or off the ball, but will need to improve his catch-and-shoot game if he is going to be relied upon as a three-point shooter.

The presence of Fox, an All-Star and former All-NBA selection, and the budding Castle will set a good precedent for Harper that not many No. 2 picks get, given teams that pick that high usually need them to start and be good right away.

The star of the show in San Antonio is, and will be for at least the next several years, be Wembanyama, which allows Harper to develop “in the shadows,” although the top pick should garner plenty of attention himself, especially if the Spurs are any good in 2024/25.