SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Dylan Harper is eager to fit in as seamlessly with the San Antonio Spurs as he has with their fans, who have already embraced the Rutgers point guard before he has suited up for a practice.
San Antonio selected 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.
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.
Harper and Carter join a team that also includes rookie of the year Stephon Castle and veterans in Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. Wembanyama and Castle won back-to-back rookie of the year honors for San Antonio.
In Harper, the Spurs believe they have another rookie who can have an immediate impact.
“When you play with a bunch of great players, it just brings the best out of you,” Harper said. “They’ve got a great core over there. I’m just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.”
Harper was regarded as the second-best prospect available behind Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who was selected first by the Dallas Mavericks.
The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Harper averaged 19.4, 4.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in his lone season at Rutgers.
Harper joins a backcourt that already has point guards in Fox and Castle, but the Spurs had no hesitation selecting the 6-foot-6 guard.
Harper said he can easily fit his game into a lineup alongside Fox and Castle in what has become something of a positionless league. He was also eager to get on the court with the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama, who missed the final 30 games of the season with a blood clot in his right shoulder.
″All the guys, but I think Stephon Castle is a big one, obviously besides Wemby,” Harper said. “Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox. When you play with such good players, it just elevates your game. When you’ve got that many ball handlers on the court, you can really space the court out. It makes the game so much easier for everyone else. Just having the opportunity to be on the floor with all of them is great.”
Bryant averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds and shot 37% on 3-pointers in his lone season with Arizona. San Antonio acquired the 14th selection as part of a 2022 trade with Atlanta that sent Dejounte Murray to the Hawks.
The Spurs also held the 38th selection in the second round.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Raul Dominguez, The Associated Press
