The Spurs’ top pick in the NBA Draft will suit up for the first time on Friday night at the Frost Bank Center.
SAN ANTONIO — Highly touted Spurs rookie Dylan Harper is expected to make his NBA debut in Friday night’s preseason matchup with the Utah Jazz, just over a month after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb.
The team confirmed that Harper, taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, will suit up against Utah—meaning he’ll begin his professional career by going against former Rutgers running mate Ace Bailey, taken just three selections behind him back in June.
“That’s like my brother,” Harper said during pregame shootaround Friday. “We hung out every day last year, so just getting to see him again – getting to see a familiar face – my first time on an NBA court, I think is going to be special for both of us.”
Harper (19.4 points per game) and Bailey (17.6) were the top scorers on a Rutgers team that finished 15-17 last season, missing the men’s college basketball tournament. They both left for the draft after a lone college season which saw Harper making the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Harper, the 6-foot-5 son of a former NBA champion, was compared to Pistons guard Cade Cunningham in the lead-up to the 2025 NBA Draft, with analysts praising his do-it-all playmaking style and creative footwork.
He’s wearing No. 2 for San Antonio.
“First-game jitters,” Harper said of what he’s feeling before tipoff Friday night. “But just go out there and play hard. Focus on the defensive side. Go with the flow of the game, don’t try to force anything.”
Spurs General Manager Brian Wright praised the rookie’s “rare confidence” on draft night.
“He’s a very down-to-earthy, simple kid (who) loves basketball,” Wright said. “After spending time with him through the process, you can tell he knows he’s a good basketball player. But he wants to be part of a team.”
Harper’s anticipated preseason debut also makes the Spurs’ Oct. 22 regular season opener against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks that much more interesting: Assuming Harper stays healthy, that game will see the top two picks in the draft facing off for the first time.
Whether Harper will see as much playing time as Stephon Castle did last year en route to winning NBA Rookie of the Year – the second year in a row a young Spur grabbed the honor – remains to be seen. But his return to health also gives the Spurs depth at a key time; the team is expected to be without starting point guard De’Aaron Fox until early November.
He’s already got the confidence of some NBA general managers who believe he’ll emerge as the best player out of his rookie class in five years. In the meantime, he’s just looking forward to notching his first NBA game action and adjusting to the league’s pace.
“Regardless of (whether it’s) preseason, NBA regular season game, playoff game, the physicality is always up there,” Harper said. “And just how fast a decision you have to make.”
Tipoff between the Spurs and Jazz at Frost Bank Center is at 7 p.m.