Dylan Harper and the Spurs will try to move to 3-0 in Las Vegas (Photo via X)
Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs face the Utah Jazz tonight in summer league action in Las Vegas. Ace Bailey, Harper’s college teammate at Rutgers, was drafted by the Jazz but he’s out tonight due to an injury. The Spurs come into this game with a record of 2-0, while the Jazz have started their Vegas summer league play with a record of 0-2.
Not only will Harper play his second game of summer, fellow lottery pick Carter Bryant is also expected to suit up for the Spurs. Other lottery picks, including Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, have been shut down — but San Antonio’s two lottery selections will play at least one more game.
In Harper’s debut in Silver and Black, the No. 2 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft played really well. In 20 minutes, he had 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. He was 5-for-12 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Harper and the Spurs defeated Flagg and the Mavericks by a final count of 76-69.
Utah’s two losses in Vegas came against the Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
With Harper and Bryant both expected to play tonight, it’s safe to predict that both rookies will be in the starting lineup. Harrison Barnes and Riley Minix should also start at the forward positions. At center, the most likely option is Ibrahima Diallo because he has started the last two games. Prior to that, Nate Mensah was starting at center.
The above starting five would mean that David Jones-Garcia would come off the bench for a second consecutive contest. Against Dallas, Jones-Garcia continued to flourish even though he was a reserve. In 27 minutes, he finished with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists. He was 8-for-15 from the floor, 3-for-3 from three-point range and 2-for-2 at the free throw line.
Carter Bryant’s Shooting Struggles
While Bryant has played outstanding defense in summer league, his shooting has been less than ideal. In the California summer league, he was only 3-for-13 from three-point range. In the two games so far in Las Vegas, Bryant is 1-for-9. To make matters worse, he has missed all four of his two-point attempts in Vegas.
As a freshman at Arizona, Bryant shot 37.1% from three-point territory. For him to become a successful NBA player, he’ll need to become at least an adequate three-point shooter.
Betting Guide: Spurs vs. Jazz
The Spurs are favored by 2.5 points and the over/under is 179.5 points. The smart money is on the Spurs to win by three or more points. San Antonio’s summer league team is playing well on both ends of the court right now and will be bolstered by the presence of Harper and Bryant. The Jazz haven’t won a game in Vegas yet and the Spurs will be motivated to see that streak continue.