GO SPURS GO
San Antonio Spurs draft Rutgers star Dylan Harper to youthful roster

The San Antonio Spurs selected Dylan Harper with the second pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night, adding even more youth to a promising roster led by All-Stars Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. San Antonio also took Carter Bryant, a 6-foot-7 wing from Arizona, with the 14th selection.
Harper is eager to fit in as seamlessly with the Spurs as he has with their fans, who have already embraced the Rutgers point guard before he has suited up for practice.
Spurs fans were looking forward to Harper, whose image was on a mural unveiled this week by the same Rudy’s Seafood restaurant that painted Wembanyama’s image months before the Spurs were awarded the No. 1 pick in 2023.
“It’s just very surreal,” said Harper, who saw the painting on Instagram. He also received a raucous reception from a few thousand fans who watched the draft on a big screen at the Spurs practice facility.
The enthusiasm is understandable considering San Antonio has missed the playoffs for five straight seasons immediately following a stellar run of five NBA titles during 22 straight postseason appearances.
At Rutgers, Harper was a top scorer, notably netting 36 points against Notre Dame and 37 points against Alabama. Still, the 19-year-old lefty's talents were not enough to secure a winning record for his team.
He is also the son of former NBA point guard Ron Harper, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls over an almost two-decade career. Like Dylan, Ron was a first-round draft pick when he started his professional career.
Harper's pick, made after the Dallas Mavericks snagged Cooper Flagg, puts to rest weeks of speculation that the Spurs were considering trade deals for existing NBA stars. Among the more notable names floated were Oklahoma City Thunder legend Kevin Durant — now a Phoenix Sun — and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
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CultureMap San Antonio editor Brandon Watson contributed additional reporting to this story.