The San Antonio Spurs have a lot riding on their guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. With three point guards, the Spurs are hoping that all three will be able to coexist and form an elite three-man attack.
Still, there are concerns of overlap between Fox and Harper, but Harper’s upside is too big to be ignored, possibly forcing the team to eventually trade Fox. Especially with several Spurs legends constantly in Harper’s ear trying to make him better.
Dylan Harper’s got the entire Spurs dynasty behind him 🔥
Read more on the No. 2 pick from @MarcJSpears: https://t.co/J8detVTZ0o pic.twitter.com/XubjnZqUjo
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 9, 2025
Harper has already established relationships with former Spurs coach and NBA legend Gregg Popovich, as well as with Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili. Harper even went as far as to say that he speaks with Ginobili every day, with the Hall of Famer giving him advice. Considering that Ginobili is also left-handed and made a career as an elite slasher and passer, he seems to be the perfect mentor for Harper.
Dylan Harper could dramatically alter the Spurs’ ceiling
Harper may spend most or all of his rookie season coming off the bench, and Ginobili should provide further insight there since he’s arguably the GOAT Sixth Man. However, that won’t be Harper’s role going forward.
The long-term goal that both Harper and the Spurs will undoubtedly work towards is the aforementioned Fox, Harper, and Castle guard trio. They have enough size to make that group work, with Fox being 6’4, Harper being 6’5, and Castle being 6’6, ensuring that they shouldn’t be a defensive liability. Particularly when paired with Victor Wembanyama.
Offensively, shooting will make or break that pairing. Fox is a high-volume 3-point shooter, though he only hits about one-third of his threes over his career. Castle’s shot is a work in progress, but he showed flashes of being a good shooter as a rookie.
Harper’s shot is the weakest part of his game, though he shot an encouraging 37% on spot-up threes at Rutgers on about 1.5 attempts per game. If Castle and Harper can both become solid 3-point shooters, then Harper can fit well next to those players and, of course Wembanyama.
Again, he can rely on the tutelage of the Spurs’ greats to figure out how to play and thrive alongside other great players.
All in all, Harper is already being taken under the wing of several Spurs legends. That should aid his ascent to stardom and potentially help San Antonio establish a new dynasty.
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July 24, 2025 | 12:00 pm
