If the 2023 first overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, didn’t go down with an injury, he may have finished on an All-NBA team in his sophomore season. The San Antonio Spurs’ first-round selection in 2024, Stephon Castle, won Rookie of the Year last season. Now, in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Spurs take the consensus second-best prospect, Dylan Harper, the combo-guard from Rutgers, who can score at will. With the selection, San Antonio has built a loaded young core of players.
Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his freshman season, while shooting 48.4% from the field and 33.3% from deep. That last number has caused a lot of hubbub in the NBA world. San Antonio needs shooters, and Harper, to this point, hasn’t proven to be an awesome shooter. There are reasons for optimism, as he shot 37% on catch-and-shoot jumpers last year and seems to have solid touch around the rim.
Even if he’s not hitting 40% of his three-pointers, Harper will be a net-positive offensively with his effortless creation for himself and others. He’s got a deep bag of tricks to get to the rim, and has the size and strength at 6-foot-6 to finish when he gets there. Harper converted on 67.6% of his shots at the rim last year. His footwork is advanced for a young player, so even if he’s stopped, he can use fakes and pivots to find an angle to score. He changes pace well and can manipulate a defense with his drives.
There has been a lot of criticism about Harper’s fit with the Spurs, given they already have two lead guards with shooting deficiencies in De’Aaron Fox and Castle. While the fit isn’t seamless, it’s not necessarily awful. Harper had to play off the ball a bit at Rutgers when Ace Bailey had the rock. He showed flashes of being a smart cutter and hit a decent number of catch-and-shoot attempts. He should be able to play with Fox, especially if the veteran guard has a bounce-back shooting season after finger surgery. Castle has shown enough ability as a cutter and defender to provide value without the ball in his hands.
This guard trio won’t be like the Fox and Chris Paul pairing last season, either. They have legitimate size and versatility to guard multiple positions. Harper isn’t an elite defender by any means, but he’s strong and long, so he should be able to keep up with opposing guards and wings.
It’s a good thing to raise the talent floor and ceiling of your roster regardless of positional overlap. Especially when the player you’re adding has a skillset like Harper’s. In the NBA finals, both the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder played multiple guys who could dribble, pass, shoot, and defend multiple positions. That is the modern NBA team-building recipe. San Antonio now has a bevvy of guards who can do just that.
With Harper in tow, the Spurs’ core consists of Wembanyama, an All-Star and likely top-10 player in the league. Fox, a former All-Star and top-30-ish player. Castle, an up-and-coming Swiss Army Knife who must develop a jump shot. Finally, solid to good role players like Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson. Plus, they have the 14th pick, and a bevvy of assets to consolidate or add to the core. It’s hard to find too many franchises better poised for long-term success than the Spurs.
Fit be damned. Harper gives San Antonio a high-end prospect and potential All-Star who has been compared to the likes of Jalen Brunson, James Harden, and Cade Cunningham. You simply don’t pass on that talent this high in the draft. Brian Wright, Gregg Popovich, Mitch Johnson, and the rest of the front office are now tasked with finding a way to make this core work together on the court. They have all of the tools at their disposal to do so.
Pick Grade: A+