Spurs Rookie Dylan Harper Opens Up on his Role Off The Bench In 2025/26

The San Antonio Spurs have done a fantastic job of rebuilding in recent years, and with Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Castle joining some key veterans, this is a very exciting team. In the 2025 NBA Draft, the team added another elite young player in Dylan Harper, who joins a core group that appears set to contend in the NBA for a long, long time to come.

However, with the starting lineup seemingly set in De'Aaron Fox, Castle, Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama, many have questioned the move behind drafting Harper. It was a question recently posed to the talented 19-year-old, and unsurprisingly, he was very excited about his first NBA season, no matter what the role was.

“James Harden was with the Thunder and came off the bench for 3–4 years waiting his turn… so everyone has to wait for theirs.”

Sure, some rookies come in and take starting and even starring roles immediately, but given what a talented team the Spurs are building, it must fill this team with confidence to see a rookie with such poise and a level head.

In his one season at Rutgers, Harper averaged 14 points on 49% shooting from the field, and was seen as one of the best prospects in the NBA Draft this year, and likely the best if not for Cooper Flagg. Only time will tell if he can translate that to becoming a star in the NBA, but with the Spurs’ fantastic starting lineup, he'll begin his career as a key piece of their second unit, and he appears very optimistic about doing so.