As Rutgers fans know, the San Antonio Spurs selected Dylan Harper with the second pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Harper was one of the most put-together guards in college basketball as a freshman, with an elite ability to score the basketball, facilitate for others, and generate rim pressure with his combination of ballhandling and finishing.
Harper has expressed his excitement since joining the team, stating in his introductory news conference, “We’re going to make the playoffs. I think for the Spurs fans and everyone else, our group is very exciting. There’s a lot to look forward to. The sky’s the limit for this group we’ve got.”
The Spurs have one of the top young cores in the NBA, with Harper joining a crowded backcourt alongside De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. In addition, the Spurs feature a loaded frontcourt with Victor Wembanyama as the anchor, along with Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, and fellow 2025 draft pick Carter Bryant in the fold.
Fox was traded to the Spurs after seven full seasons with the Sacramento Kings, averaging roughly 25 points per game in his last few seasons in Sacramento. Fox was named an All-Star in 2023, the same year in which the Kings snapped a lengthy playoff drought and battled the Golden State Warriors in the first round, eventually falling in an exciting seven-game series. Known for his speed and quickness, Fox also averages seven assists per game.
Stephon Castle was drafted by the Spurs in 2024 after winning the national title with the UConn Huskies as a freshman. A five-star recruit in high school, Castle has continued his trajectory in the NBA, winning Rookie of the Year during the 2024-25 season. He averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as a rookie, and will look to build on that as an NBA sophomore. Longtime NBA point guard Chris Paul appeared in all 82 games for the Spurs last season, but is a free agent and may not return to the team for this season.
Devin Vassell has solidified his spot in the Spurs’ rotation as the team’s starting small forward, averaging a career-high 19.5 points per game this past year. A volume scorer, Vassell signed a lucrative extension with San Antonio in 2023 for five years and $146 million. Former ninth overall pick Jeremy Sochan has grabbed the team’s starting power forward spot, averaging 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
At the center position, Victor Wembanyama is a talent like no other in the NBA. Wembanyama has career averages of 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, showcasing his versatility. At 7’ 3’’, he is one of the best rim protectors and defenders in the league, while also possessing the agility, ball-handling, and three-point shooting of a player much smaller. Wemby has lived up to the billing as the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and has become the face of the franchise.
With all of that being discussed, where does Dylan Harper fit in? The logical prediction is that Harper comes off the bench and plays backup minutes, potentially experimenting alongside Castle or Fox while the other rests. However, some projections envision Harper starting at the small forward position, with Fox at point guard and Castle at shooting guard, while Sochan and Wembanyama remain at their usual spots at power forward and center.
Having Fox, Castle, and Harper in the lineup at the same time would wreak havoc on defenses, especially since all three are most prominent when they attack the basket as drivers. With Fox being the smallest at 6’ 3’’ and the other two at 6’ 6’’, the trio will have enough size to play the first three positions.
Although none of them are particularly great shooters, Fox and Harper shoot 33% from long range, while Castle has heated up to above 40% during a 12-game stretch last year in which he averaged nearly 4 attempts per game. Dylan Harper shot 37% on spot-up threes on 55 attempts during his one season at Rutgers, an improvement from his overall percentage, and evidence that the three-point shot will not be a liability for this group.
Starting Harper in the small forward position will allow him to get acclimated to NBA basketball without the pressure being on him to lead the offense. He could find more opportunities to develop his jump shot if he plays off the ball, and with time, he should find himself back in one of his more natural guard positions.
Even if Harper ends up coming off the bench as a backup point guard or shooting guard, he will gain invaluable experience learning the ropes from two elite guards, especially with De’Aaron Fox providing veteran experience. Dylan should still see the floor quite a bit as a rookie, and will likely insert himself into the starting lineup at some point during his rookie season. Eventually, the Spurs may have to move Fox or Castle due to financial constraints, but until then, San Antonio can play all three guards at once, have Harper come off the bench, or even play Harper alongside Castle or Fox while the other guard rests.
Dylan Harper has the rare privilege for a lottery pick to be able to learn and develop without the pressure of taking over the team right away. Similar to Cooper Flagg’s situation in Dallas, Harper is now part of a team with several All-Stars around him and can use their experience to guide him towards his full potential. The Spurs have a young, exciting core that will grow into a contender much quicker than many lottery teams will, and the former Rutgers star will be a major part of the new renaissance in San Antonio.