Dylan Harper

Dylan Robert Harper (born March 2, 2006) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and was drafted second overall in the 2025 NBA draft by the Spurs. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class. His father is former NBA player Ron Harper.

Early life and high school career Dylan Robert Harper was born on March 2, 2006 in Englewood, New Jersey, at the Englewood Hospital. Harper grew up in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School. He averaged 15.2 points per game during his sophomore season. Harper was named the Boys Basketball Player of the Year by NJ.com as a junior after averaging 24.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Harper averaged 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while leading the Ironmen to a 29–3 record and a NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship during his senior season. Harper played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the New York Renaissance. He also played in the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado Springs.

Recruiting Harper was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services. He was rated the number one overall recruit for the class of 2024 by ESPN during the summer before the start of his senior year. On December 6, 2023, Harper committed to playing college basketball for Rutgers, his brother‘s alma mater, over offers from Duke, Kansas, Indiana, and Auburn. He was the highest-rated recruit in the program's history.

College career As a freshman, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He was named third-team All-Big Ten and to the all-freshman team. On March 31, 2025, Harper declared for the 2025 NBA draft.

Professional career San Antonio Spurs (2025–present) All-Rookie honors and First Finals Appearance (2025–2026) Harper was selected with the second overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2025 NBA draft. Harper was later included in the 2025 NBA Summer League roster of the Spurs. On July 3, 2025, the Spurs announced that they signed Harper. On October 22, Harper made his NBA debut, coming off the bench with fifteen points plus four rebounds and two assists in a 125–92 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On March 21, 2026, Harper scored a career-high 24 points in a 134–119 win over the Indiana Pacers. After the regular season, Harper was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

On April 24, in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Portland Trail Blazers, Harper put up 27 points and 10 rebounds in a 120–108 win. His teammate Stephon Castle put up 33 points, as they joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only duos to each put up 25 points in the same playoff game at 21 years old or younger in NBA history. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a conference finals game. On May 18, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harper recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a franchise playoff-record seven steals in a 122–115 double-overtime victory. In the process, he became only the second rookie in NBA history to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a playoff game, joining Magic Johnson.

In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Harper recorded a team-high 25 points along with five rebounds and four assists without committing a turnover in a 94–90 loss to the Knicks, as the Spurs lost the series 4–1. In his first NBA Finals appearance, Harper averaged 18 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. Despite appearing in all five games off the bench, he finished as the Spurs' second-leading scorer in the series behind Victor Wembanyama.

National team career Harper was named to the United States under-19 basketball team to play in the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as Team USA finished fourth in the tournament.

Career statistics

NBA

Playoffs

College

Family Harper's father, Ron Harper, played 15 seasons in the NBA and won five NBA championships. His mother, Maria (née Pizarro), is from Bataan, Philippines, and played college basketball for the University of New Orleans as a freshman in the 1993–94 season. She is a former head coach of the DePaul Catholic High School girls’ varsity team in New Jersey and an assistant coach for the boys' team at Don Bosco High, where she coached Dylan and his brother, Ron Harper Jr. Harper's maternal grandfather represented the Philippines in basque pelota at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Ron Harper Jr. played college basketball at Rutgers and now plays for the Boston Celtics.