Dylan Harper isn’t making a fuss over where he starts next season, and that says plenty about the way he’s wired.
After a rookie year in which he became one of the San Antonio Spurs’ most reliable contributors, Harper is heading into his second season with the same calm, team-first approach that helped him stand out in the first place. The backcourt in San Antonio is crowded with Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle in the mix, but Harper never seemed rattled by the responsibility that came with that setup.
So when he was asked whether he prefers starting or coming off the bench, he brushed the question aside with a perspective that fit the season he just had.
“No, I feel like regardless, I'm in the NBA. There's only like 450 people in the NBA, and I get a chance to go on the court and play with the best of the best,” Harper said.
“I feel like those kinds of things and those logistics at the end of the day, in the big scheme of things, it's not going to affect me and how I approach every day.”
That attitude matched the production. In 69 regular-season games, Harper averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game while shooting 50.5% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range.
For a rookie guard, that kind of efficiency stands out. It was even more valuable because it came whether he was in the starting lineup or anchoring the second unit.
His play carried into the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where his scoring jumped to 14.1 points per game.
Harper’s role in San Antonio’s unexpected breakthrough last season only strengthened the sense that he’s already part of the team’s long-term core. For head coach Mitch Johnson, having a young guard who values winning and fit over labels is about as good as it gets.
In Other News...
Mavericks Lock In Undrafted Standout With Intriguing Extension
Naji Marshall is now set to stick with Dallas a little longer after agreeing to a three-year contract extension, a move that gives the Mavericks more clarity with one of their more useful rotation pieces. The structure of the deal is noteworthy, too, with the salary declining from $18.2 million in the 2027/28 season to $16.7 million in 2029/30, a setup that keeps him trade-eligible and gives the team some flexibility down the road.
For a Mavericks team trying to build around dependable, adaptable players, Marshalls appeal is easy to understand. President Masai Ujiri pointed to his competitiveness and versatility as reasons he fits into the franchises future, and that kind of profile tends to matter even more when roster decisions start getting tight. The extension locks in an important piece, but it also leaves open the larger question of how Dallas will continue shaping the rest of its core. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Has Spurs Fans Dreaming Bigger Than Just Stardom
Victor Wembanyama keeps turning the spotlight into something bigger for San Antonio. Fresh off a season that saw him lead the Spurs to the NBA Finals, win Defensive Player of the Year and finish as an MVP finalist, he has now been named the cover athlete for the standard edition of NBA 2K27. Add in CBS Sports placing him No. 2 on its list of the leagues faces, behind only LeBron James, and the message is hard to miss: the Spurs star is no longer just a building block, he is becoming one of the leagues defining names.
For Spurs fans, the appeal goes beyond the accolades and the marketing. Wembanyama already has the rsum of a franchise centerpiece, but the conversation around him is starting to sound like something larger, the kind of status reserved for players who shape the leagues image as much as its standings. San Antonio has spent years waiting for a player who could restore that kind of gravitational pull, and Wembanyamas latest honors only sharpen the question of how far this rise can go. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face Early Jayden Quaintance Decision That Could Shape His Rookie Year
Jayden Quaintances rookie year has already turned into a roster-management puzzle for the Spurs. The first-round pick is coming off knee surgery, and the expectation is that he will be sidelined for about six months, which puts his availability for next season in serious doubt before it even begins. For a team trying to map out its frontcourt rotation, that creates an early choice about how to handle a young big man whose development may matter just as much as his health.
San Antonio can afford to be patient, especially with other center options in the mix in Tarris Reed Jr. and Luke Kornet. The bigger question is whether the Spurs see more value in keeping Quaintance completely out for the season or finding a way to ease him back once he is cleared so he can get real game reps somewhere in the system. However they answer it, the decision will say a lot about how the Spurs want to balance long-term development against the realities of a season that starts without him. [Read more 🡒]