NBA Draft 2025: San Antonio Spurs select Rutgers star Dylan Harper with No. 2 overall pick
Dylan Harper is officially headed to San Antonio.
The Spurs selected Harper with the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The dynamic scorer entered the draft after one year at Rutgers. He followed Duke star Cooper Flagg, who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks, off the board.
Advertisement
Standing at 6-foot-6, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists in his lone season with the Scarlet Knights. Harper led the team in points and assists while shooting 33.3% from 3-point range. On defense, Harper led the team in steals. Teammate Ace Bailey, a projected top pick, was second on the team in average points per game with 17.6, and led the team in rebounds.
Harper helped Rutgers to a 15-17 record last season before falling to USC in an overtime loss in the Big Ten Tournament. His highest-scoring game came in a 34-point outing in an overtime win over Washington in February. Harper also clocked in a triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a victory over Columbia late last year.
Coming into college, Harper was crowned MVP at the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic in 2024. He was also one of five five-star recruits to ever play for the school.
Harper will join a Spurs team coming off a 34-48 season, and is moving forward without Gregg Popovich as head coach for the first time in 29 years. With Mitch Johnson at the helm, Harper will join forces with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan to form part of a young and promising core in San Antonio.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fans Left in Disbelief After Incredible Marcell Ozuna Moment During Braves Game
Fans Left in Disbelief After Incredible Marcell Ozuna Moment During Braves Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. got the first laugh against the New York Mets this week, mashing a home run and celebrating with an imaginary grenade. Advertisement New York Mets center fielder Jeff McNeil had no intentions of letting other Braves players pull off any similar tactics. McNeil robbed Braves designated Marcell Ozuna of a two-run home run in the first inning on Wednesday night. Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo immediately celebrated while McNeil threw the ball back in. Understandably, Mets fans joined Nimmo in celebrating the sensational play. 'This play will be the beginning of the turn around for the Mets,' one X/Twitter user wrote. 'Mark my words.' Added another: 'McNeil does not get enough credit for being an incredible athlete.' 'This is outstanding, even more so cause the dude is a 2nd baseman,' a third user acknowledged. New York Mets center fielder Jeff McNeilWendell Cruz-Imagn Images Others referenced McNeil's nickname, 'The Flying Squirrel,' while discussing the robbery. Advertisement 'RALLY OFF THIS, METS 🐿️' an X user exclaimed. 'Can't spell Jeff McNeil without a C and an F,' quipped another. Related: Former $41 Million All-Star Rips Ronald Acuña Jr. After Home Run Celebration This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
15 minutes ago
- Forbes
Sixers Reveal Why They Preferred VJ Edgecombe To Ace Bailey In 2025 NBA Draft
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 25: VJ Edgecombe (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) ... More after being drafted second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) For most of the past year, Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper and Rutgers forward Ace Bailey were widely considered to be the top three prospects in the 2025 NBA draft class. The top of the draft board held to form Wednesday night, as the Dallas Mavericks took Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, and the San Antonio Spurs selected Harper at No. 2. However, the Philadelphia 76ers deviated at No. 3 and took Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe ahead of Bailey. Right after the draft lottery in mid-May, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo projected the Sixers to take Bailey at No. 3 rather than Edgecombe. But as the draft drew closer, it became increasingly clear that Edgecombe was their guy. After the first round of the draft Wednesday, team president Daryl Morey explained what drew the Sixers toward Edgecombe rather than Bailey. "Above and beyond what you can see on the floor, the thing we spend a lot of time on—and I will say, it's very hard to forecast with 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds," Morey told reporters. "We don't think we have some crystal ball. But where we can get more confidence that a player has two things, which is they understand that they're not where they need to be. They understand they're not yet, you know, pick your All-Star guard in the league. And then they have the work ethic to close that gap. If a player has that, that's very interesting to us." What Gave Edgecombe the Edge? Edgecombe spent only one season at Baylor, but he took a clear leap as the season progressed. He started the year by making his mark defensively—he averaged 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks over his first 10 games—and then he grew more aggressive on offense from there. While he still has some work to do on improving his ball-handling and pull-up shooting, Morey believes his athleticism and off-the-catch shooting ability gives him both a high floor and a high ceiling. Morey specifically referenced Edgecombe's fit with All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey as a big selling point in his favor. "Just fit-wise, I think the good thing is Tyrese has high basketball IQ," he said. 'He understands that those two complement each other very well. In terms of like, VJ's gonna be able to guard multiple positions, probably take the toughest assignment. Maybe not day one, but in his career. And then Tyrese and him really play off of each other well [on offense]." That two-way ability might have helped him gain separation on Bailey, who has the physical tools to be an elite defender but wasn't always engaged on that end of the floor. Bailey's attitude also might have rubbed the Sixers the wrong way. Morey said that Bailey's decision to abruptly cancel his predraft workout at the last minute didn't factor into their choice, but his reported desire to find "a clear path to stardom" (via Givony and ESPN's Shams Charania) differed greatly from Edgecombe's attitude on draft night. "Whatever Coach needs me to do, I'm gonna go do," Edgecombe said. "If it requires me coming off the bench, if it requires me starting, playing alongside both Maxey and [Jared] McCain, playing with one of them at the same time, it don't matter. I'm just going there to play. Like I said, whatever Coach Nurse needs me to do, I'm gonna do it." Will The Sixers Regret Their Choice? With Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George all in the fold, the Sixers didn't necessarily need a high-usage, shot-hunting player. Bailey might have a higher ceiling than Edgecombe if he hits his 100% outcome, but he also may have a much lower floor. Edgecombe's well-documented work ethic and willingness to fill any role asked of him should help him carve out a niche in the NBA, even if he doesn't eventually develop into an All-Star. The Sixers may now have a positional logjam to sort out, particularly if they're able to re-sign soon-to-be restricted free agent Quentin Grimes. Both Maxey and McCain are listed at 6'2", while Edgecombe is 6'4" and Grimes is 6'5". Head coach Nick Nurse figures to rotate all four and try three-guard lineups, but the 6'7½" Bailey would have filled a bigger need positionally. However, Morey didn't appear too worried about that on draft night. In fact, he thinks having that much depth in the backcourt could be a major strength for the Sixers. "I think we'll have one of the best backcourts in the league with Grimes and Maxey and Jared McCain and now VJ," he said. "I do think the way the NBA is going, I think you saw some of these teams playing dynamic, uptempo, with multiple guards that put the defense in jeopardy." The Indiana Pacers just came within one game of winning this year's championship with Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard starting in the same backcourt together, although both of them are 6'5" rather than 6'2". Still, teams can never have too many versatile, athletic guards in this day and age, particularly ones who can make an impact on both ends of the floor like Edgecombe can. Morey did say that Edgecombe needs to improve his finishing around the basket, although he cited veteran guard Eric Gordon as someone who could help him in that regard. "I think someone like Eric, who took a big leap in finishing by working on his craft, his footwork, his timing, his takeoff points, he really improved that in the early parts of his career," Morey said. "But [Edgecombe] has that base athleticism, physical tools and the work ethic that you see he could grow into that." If Bailey turns into a two-way star in Utah, the Sixers could grow to regret passing on him. But given everything they know about Edgecombe's character, work ethic and two-way impact, they appear confident in their decision to gamble on his floor/ceiling mix instead. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets Trade Idea Unexpectedly Gives Juan Soto a $120 Million All-Star Slugger
Mets Trade Idea Unexpectedly Gives Juan Soto a $120 Million All-Star Slugger originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets expecting championships, not a horrifying June swoon. Advertisement Now, in fairness, the 2025 Mets can still achieve both feats. However, the Mets are 10-12 this month following Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the rival Atlanta Braves. Soto's club is 1-9 in its last 10 games, and they now trail the Philadelphia Phillies by 1 1/2 games in the NL East. What's the solution? How about Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman? Admittedly, a theoretical Bregman trade sounds slightly unrealistic, especially as the Red Sox sit 2 1/2 games out of the AL's third and final Wild Card spot. Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million contract earlier this year, but he has player options for 2026 and 2027. Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex BregmanJunfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel nonetheless listed the Mets as a possible fit for Bregman, albeit with a 10% chance of any deal happening. Advertisement "Bregman has been an elite big league hitter since he entered the league in 2016," they wrote, "but has leaned more into power this year, with his highest isolated power since 2019." Bregman hit .299 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, 35 RBIs, and a stellar .938 OPS through 226 plate appearances before landing on the IL with a right quad injury in late May. The two-time All-Star tallied 2.9 bWAR over his first 51 games, putting him well on pace for his highest bWAR since 2019. Passan and McDaniel also listed the crosstown Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, and the Detroit Tigers as other potential Bregman suitors. Advertisement A Mets lineup featuring Soto, Bregman, Lindor, and Pete Alonso sounds downright frightening. Bregman instantly upgrades the Mets' third base situation, and he's a two-time champion with 19 career postseason homers. Unfortunately for Mets, we imagine you won't have those four in the same lineup unless you're playing your "MLB: The Show" franchise. Related: Yankees End Anthony Volpe Era in Risky Paul Skenes Trade Idea Related: Risky Mets Trade Idea Reunites Pete Alonso With $44 Million Disappointment This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
