Dylan Harper is excited to play with Spurs' young core

Talent begets talent. Winning begets winning. That's the way things work in sports, and the newest member of the San Antonio Spurs, Dylan Harper, seems to understand that.

Harper, from Rutgers, was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday by the Spurs. He was a star at Rutgers last season, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and and 4.0 assists per game.

He now has a chance to play for one of the NBA's most exciting young teams in the Spurs. He also has a chance to help the Spurs win a very intriguing "three-peat".

In 2023, the Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall, and he won the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. In 2024, they selected Stephon Castle, who was the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Cooper Flagg, who went No. 1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks (as expected), is going to give Harper a run for his money in their rookie seasons. With that said, Harper could absolutely be the NBA's Rookie of the Year next season if he's able to work well with the young talent around him.

"I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it just brings the best out of you," Harper said after he was drafted, according to ESPN. "They got a great young core over there. I'm just ready to get in there and make an impact anywhere I can with those guys."

He's got it right. 

Harper doesn't have to come in and light the world on fire. Heck, there's no pressure on him to be the team's best player. That's often a pressure young Top 5 picks in the draft have to face, but that's not the story in San Antonio.

All he has to do is play his role and play it well as a rookie, and there's absolutely a world in which he has a season that could end up winning him awards.

At the very least, he'll be an important piece on a team that's gearing up to make some major noise in the NBA's stacked Western Conference. 

Harper is 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, and he can do a little bit of everything on the court. By bringing him into the fold, the Spurs now have another elite piece in their positionless basketball puzzle. 

The sky is the limit.