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The San Antonio Spurs gave their up-and-coming team a boost in Wednesday night's draft, selecting Dylan Harper from Rutgers University with the second overall pick.
The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper was widely expected to be selected by the Spurs and already had a mural unveiled earlier this week in his honor on the South Side.
The 6-foot-6 guard said he's excited to join Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, the team's last two top picks who took home the league's last two Rookie of the Year awards.
"I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it just brings the best out of you," Harper said in an interview Wednesday night. "They've got a great core over there. I'm ready to make an impact any way I can with these guys."
The Spurs also selected the University of Arizona's Carter Bryant with the 14th pick.
Bryant, a 6-foot-8 forward, is considered to be one of the most underrated players in the draft with some of the highest upside potential.
The team has missed the playoffs for the last five seasons following their historic run of 22 straight playoff appearances and five championships.
It was their first draft in 29 years without Gregg Popovich as head coach. However, Popovich — who announced he was stepping down last month following his recovery from a stroke in November — remains the team's president of basketball operations and was heavily involved in the draft strategy that landed Harper and Bryant.
Fans at The Rock at La Cantera cheered loudly with approval at both picks as the team continues its rebuild. Harper sees an opportunity for the Spurs to contend now for a championship.
"They've got a great everything, man, from the front office to the equipment manager, to the video guy. They all around are great. I think the coach over there is great," Harper told ESPN. "I'm just happy that I'm a part of it now."
The balance of power in the NBA may be shifting back in the direction of the Lone Star State.
The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke University's Cooper Flagg with the number one overall pick. The 6-foot-9 forward marks the Mavs a contender once again following a season derailed by injury and the team's decision to trade away its superstar, Luca Doncic, to the Lakers.
General Manager Nico Harrison called the opportunity to select Flagg a "once-in-a-lifetime chance."
The Houston Rockets made their splash just days before the draft. They traded their 2025 draft picks — along with Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks — for 17-year veteran superstar Kevin Durant.
The Rockets, who finished second in the Western Conference standings last season, hope Durant's experience will propel their young squad to the next level come playoff time.
It was just two years ago when all three Texas teams failed to make the NBA playoffs for the first time ever. Fans are hoping the new additions will help make sure that doesn't happen again to their teams next season.
