Dylan Harper will suit up for the Spurs for the first time (Photo via X)
The fifth summer league game this offseason for the San Antonio Spurs will likely be the most exciting. This afternoon, Dylan Harper will make his debut for the Spurs. The No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft missed the first four summer league games with a minor groin injury. Harper and San Antonio will go against the Dallas Mavericks and Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 selection in this year’s draft.
While Harper will play, reports indicate that he will be on a minutes restriction. How many minutes will he play? Well, when Harrison Ingram was on a minutes restriction earlier in summer league play, the Spurs led Ingram to 14 minutes. That could perhaps be a guide for what to expect this afternoon from Harper.
Flagg and the Mavs won their first summer league game, an 87-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the win, the No. 1 pick wasn’t too thrilled with how he played. Against the Lakers, Flagg finished with ten points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a blocked shot but he was only 5-for-21 from the field, 0-for-5 from three-point range and 0-for-1 at the free throw line.
It’s fair to say that all eyes will be on Flagg and Harper. Flagg will be looking for a bounce back performance, while Harper will aim to make a good first impression in Silver and Black.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
The most likely scenario has Dylan Harper starting alongside David Jones-Garcia in the backcourt. In the front court, expect Carter Bryant and Harrison Ingram starting. At center, expect Nate Mensah to start if he’s able to play. If not, Ibrahima Diallo could get his second straight start.
Riley Minix could also be a starter this afternoon. Summer league head coach Mike Noyes could go small and start Minix in place of a traditional center. There’s also a chance that Minix starts over Bryant or Ingram.
David Jones-Garcia Continues to Shine
Jones-Garcia is doing all he can to earn a real NBA contract. To say he has played well for the Spurs so far in summer league would be an understatement. In only 24.2 minutes per game, Jones-Garcia is averaging 23 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2 steals per game, while shooting 51.2% from the field, 47.1% from three-point range and 84.2% from the free throw line. The only blemish on his stat sheet is his average of 3.3 turnovers per game.
Could the Spurs sign him? San Antonio has room to sign him to a two-way contract. That said, the Spurs have a lot of guards and could look for a big to fill that two-way spot. Additionally, Jones-Garcia could look around the league and hope to get a guaranteed contract from another team.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Mavericks
The Spurs are favored by one point and the over/under is 174 points. The smart money is on the over. With all the hype surrounding Flagg and Harper, expect both teams to come out with an extra amount of juice.