Dylan Harper was selected with the 2nd pick in the 2025 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. During an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s “7 pm in Brooklyn” podcast, he talked about the possibility of coming off the bench for the Spurs during his rookie season.
The former Rutgers star sought inspiration from former MVP James Harden, who came off the bench during his formative years at the OKC Thunder.
Dylan Harper said via Legions Hoops:
“James Harden was with the Thunder and came off the bench for 3-4 years waiting his turn… so everyone gotta wait for theirs.”
Dylan Harper on possibly coming off the bench for the Spurs:
“James Harden was with the Thunder and came off the bench for 3-4 years waiting his turn… so everyone gotta wait for theirs.”
Harper was the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
(via @7PMinBrooklyn) pic.twitter.com/ETzJaXyaDh
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 21, 2025
LA Clippers star James Harden was selected with the third pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Thunder. He came off the bench behind Thabo Sefolosha, who was the starting shooting guard due to his defense and fit alongside established young stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Harden in his rookie season, played in 76 games, while starting none. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, while shooting 40.3% FG, 37.5% 3PT, and 80.8% FT as he went from sixth man to MVP candidate in just a few years.
Dylan Harper was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs after an impressive college season at Rutgers. He averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 48% shooting in his freshman year.
He became the third consecutive Spurs pick to come with Rookie of the Year expectations, following Victor Wembanyama (2023, No. 1) and Stephon Castle (2024, No. 4). Harper’s selection has been seen as a smart move in a solid offseason for the Spurs.
What’s next for Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs?
Dylan Harper joins the league with huge expectations following a successful sole college season. While he might take time to usurp his more experienced teammates, he will likely be the first guard off the bench, anchoring the team’s second-unit scoring and playmaking.
Lying alongside De’Aaron Fox, an All-Star-level point guard, and Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, will give him mentors in different guard archetypes. This year will be about Harper adjusting to the league’s intense pace, decision-making, and working on his defense against elite guards.
While everything orbits around Victor Wembanyama, the goal is to surround Wemby with versatile and unselfish guards in Fox, Castle, and Harper. With Fox’s leadership, Castle’s defense, Wembanyama’s dominance, and Harper’s bench spark, San Antonio (34-48) is positioned to do better than the 13th-place finish of last season and make the playoffs for the first time since the 2018/19 season.
