Dylan Harper is stepping into his next season with a clear goal: make the jumper a real weapon.
The San Antonio Spurs already have plenty of reasons to feel good about what’s coming, with Victor Wembanyama headlining a young core that also includes Stephon Castle. Castle, entering his third year, is expected to keep growing by becoming more decisive and efficient. Harper, the third piece of that trio, wants to build on what he showed and push his game forward on the perimeter.
What made Harper so hard to deal with as a rookie was his ability to get downhill. He has the kind of first step that bends defenses, and once he’s in the lane, his athleticism and finishing do the rest. That showed up in the 2026 Playoffs, when he became the Spurs’ go-to guy on certain possessions.
But Harper knows that kind of attack can’t be the whole menu. If he wants to become more dangerous, he needs defenses to worry about more than just the drive. That’s why the jumper has become such a major focus.
Harper said, "Very confident. I feel like I’ve worked at it all summer, so there’s no reason for me to be hesitant; there’s no reason for me to pull back. The biggest thing is just taking the right shots at the right time," Harper said about how he feels about his perimeter shooting.
The numbers show why that work matters. Harper shot 34.3% from beyond the arc during his rookie year and followed that with a 33.3% mark from distance in the Playoffs. He’s not satisfied with that level, and he’s made it clear he wants to raise it.
If that part of his game comes along, Harper’s offensive ceiling gets a lot higher. He already proved he can pressure the rim. Add a more reliable shot, and he becomes even tougher to game-plan for.
In Other News...
Spurs Rookies Are Forcing A Tough Rotation Call Already
Preseason has a way of speeding up the conversation around young players, and for San Antonio, Tarris Reed Jr., Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown have already made the coaching staff think a little harder about the early-season rotation. Reed has flashed the kind of rebounding and rim protection that can earn trust quickly, while Gillespie has brought enough three-point shooting and defense to look playable right away. Brown has also helped his case with defensive versatility and a smoother-looking shot.
None of the three is being talked about like a Rookie of the Year candidate, but that is hardly the point for a team trying to sort out useful minutes. The Spurs do not need every rookie to be a headline act, they need the ones who can fit cleanly into a bigger plan, and these three have at least made that decision less straightforward than it looked a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Young Core Finally Gave Fans Something Real To Believe In
The final preseason tune-up gave San Antonio a cleaner look at what this group can be when the pieces start clicking. In a 126-97 win over Sacramento, the Spurs closed camp on a two-game winning streak, with Dylan Harper leading the scoring at 19 points and Victor Wembanyama adding 14 points and eight rebounds in just 17 minutes. The overall picture was even more encouraging than the box score: San Antonio controlled the glass from start to finish and spread the floor well enough to keep the Kings chasing all night.
For a fan base that has spent the last few seasons waiting for signs that the next version of the team is actually taking shape, those details matter. The Spurs 17 made threes and 63-38 rebounding edge suggested more than preseason energy, it hinted at a roster with real size, pace and shot-making potential. It is still October, and the tests only get tougher from here, but this was the kind of game that can make a young core feel less theoretical and a lot more real. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Young Core
The Spurs sent a pretty clear signal about where they want this thing to go by locking in the next step for Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. Exercising Castles fourth-year option and the third-year options on Harper and Bryant guarantees their salaries for the 2027-28 season, and it keeps three recent draft picks on the same developmental track as San Antonio continues to build around its young talent.
Castle already has the Rookie of the Year hardware from 2024-25, Harper landed on the All-Rookie first team, and Bryant is expected to take another step in his second season. For a franchise that has made no secret of its long-term approach, this kind of roster housekeeping matters because it shows the Spurs are not just collecting prospects, they are committing to a core they believe can grow together. [Read more 🡒]