The chance to play alongside former Rutgers basketball star Dylan Harper is something that Carter Bryant can't wait to do with the San Antonio Spurs.
Bryant, a small forward who was a one-and-done at Arizona, was taken No. 14 overall in June's NBA Draft but has yet to play with Harper in the NBA rookie league. The No. 2 overall pick, Harper is coming off a standout freshman season at Rutgers where he was All-Big Ten.
The chance for Bryant to share the floor with Harper might be coming on Saturday (July 12) when the Spurs play the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Summer League (Las Vegas, NV). Harper has not yet played in preseason due to a groin injury and it is unclear his status for the NBA 2K26 Summer League.
''Definitely, definitely. He's a hell of a player so who wouldn't want to play with him?'' Bryant told reporters this week.
''I think that's my thing, so I'm looking forward to getting that through with him.''
Harper solidified himself as the second-best player in the NBA draft following his lone season at Rutgers. His time in the Big Ten with the Scarlet Knights certainly elevated his draft stock.
There were no signs of a learning curve for the former Rutgers guard as Harper averaged 19.4 points per game and shot 48.4 percent from the floor. Defensively, he was strong and Harper also had 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Despite the struggles of Rutgers last season, Harper looked a cut above his competition in the Big Ten. He was resilient, battling through injuries and illness to put together what was arguably the best freshman season in program history.
Even though Harper has yet to play this preseason, Bryant said that he is already seeing signs of the type of teammate that the rookie guard will be with the Spurs.
''Dylan's a leader. I mean, he's a point guard. He knows how to run the show. Being from high school, he's been always had winning teams,'' Bryant said.
''I mean, obviously, there's so much more that goes into a winning individual, but he knows how to lead. He knows how to cultivate a winning culture, and I think he's shown that time after time again and showing he's a big time player. So there's no surprise that he does it, whether he's on or off the floor.''
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