Spurs select Rutgers' Dylan Harper with No. 2 pick in 2025 NBA Draft
NEW YORK — The San Antonio Spurs selected Rutgers freshman combo guard Dylan Harper with the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as the team ushers in a new era after the retirement of legendary coach Gregg Popovich.
Harper is the highest-drafted Rutgers player in the school’s history, surpassing James Bailey, who was selected sixth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978.
The Spurs, under new coach Mitch Johnson, are essentially in a rebuild mode in the loaded Western Conference, even with dynamic center Victor Wembanyama and guard Stephon Castle, who have won the last two Rookie of the Year awards.
Wembanyama is coming back from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, which limited him to 46 games last season as the Spurs went 34-46. San Antonio has missed the postseason in each of the past six seasons.
What Dylan Harper brings to the table
Harper, the son of 15-year NBA veteran and five-time champion Ron Harper, joins a loaded guard group in San Antonio with De’Aaron Fox and Castle, so getting valuable minutes, whether he starts or is coming off the bench, shouldn’t be an issue. The question is where he plays to maximize his effectiveness. He averaged 19.4 points and 4.6 rebounds for a Rutgers team that finished 15-17, even with another lottery pick on the roster in Ace Bailey.
He plays bigger than his listed height of 6-foot-4½ with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, and he can score efficiently like the others in this draft class, but may need to play bullyball near the rim if he chooses to go inside to make up for the lack of athleticism. His outside shot could use some refinement, as he only hit 33% from downtown.
He can get his shot off, especially while using screens, and it will be interesting to see if he can create for himself without much help.