After rising up to the second overall pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs immediately became the subject of trade rumors. The Spurs, in theory, could add any star they want this offseason, including Giannis Antetokounmpo.
However, the Silver and Black are instead expected to go young and draft the consensus second-best player in the draft class: Dylan Harper, son of five-time champion Ron.
"Dylan Harper is going to be the number two pick in the draft. I am 99.9% sure about it," said ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony. "He has measurements comparable to those of Dwyane Wade coming out of college. The San Antonio Spurs are signaling to teams that they are very excited about the opportunity to draft Dylan Harper. They are not pursuing trades from what we're hearing."
Comparing Harper to Wade is, obviously, lofty. In college, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, four assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 33.3 percent from deep, which could be a limiting factor in the modern NBA.
The Spurs already boast two premier guards who struggle with the outside shot. De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle are solid scorers, defenders, ball handlers, and facilitators, although they lack a deep threat.
The Spurs seem to think that long-term, the trio can share the backcourt. Having as many facilitators as possible surrounding Victor Wembanyama has a clear upside, and the Spurs are willing to take the risk.
"They think that they can play Dylan Harper together with Steph Castle and De'Aaron Fox in the same backcourt," Givony continued. "Obviously, teams have some question marks about the amount of shooting on that roster. That's something that they are probably going to address at a later stage. Dylan Harper is the second-best prospect in this draft. He will go second, I believe."
Harper is not the perfect prospect, but if he fits in well, it's hard to imagine a better, more cost-effective offseason move for the Spurs. If he doesn't fit, then he, Fox, or Castle could be flipped in a trade to alter the roster construction.
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