NBA Draft expert claims 99% accuracy predicting where Dylan Harper is headed
The San Antonio Spurs are set to select NBA prospect Dylan Harper with the No. 2 pick per a draft expert. Jonathan Givony went straight to the point when asked about Harper on Wednesday's episode of ESPN's "NBA Today."
The Spurs landed the second pick in the 2025 NBA draft lottery. Drafting Duke's Cooper Flagg is out of the picture after the Dallas Mavericks landed the top pick. Still, they can select Harper early in the first round.
“Dylan Harper is going to be the number two pick in the draft, I am 99.9% sure about it,” Givony said. “He looked also really, really good. Tested very well, shot it well. His body is in a great place, he’s lost 15 pounds in the last year.
“The San Antonio Spurs are signaling to teams that they are very excited about the opportunity to draft Harper. They are not pursuing draft trades, from what we’re hearing.”
Givony also said the San Antonio Spurs are optimistic that Harper can play alongside All-Star De'Aaron Fox and the 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle. The draft expert reiterated that the young guard is this year's second-best prospect.
Drafting Dylan Harper gives the Spurs a strong backcourt. At 6-foot-6, he's a dynamic scorer needing to improve his three-point shooting. In his single season at Rutgers, ex-NBA player Ron Harper's son shot 33.3 percent from deep. The 19-year-old averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and four assists in college.
The 19-year-old guard averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists in college.
Dylan Harper named notable NBA stars as his comparison
Dylan Harper has left a strong impression on fans and critics after playing one year in college. He's shown flashes of what he can achieve at the professional level.
Ahead of the draft, Harper has been compared to some NBA players. Per HoopsHype, they think his floor ceiling would be Anthony Black. However, they believe that he could grow and improve into a Jalen Williams-type player.
Lastly, the scout at HoopsHype said Harper looks like a left-handed Cade Cunningham.
Michael Scotto talked to the prospect on Wednesday and asked who his NBA player comparisons are. Dylan Harper mentioned three players who he believes play a similar brand of basketball.
“Probably James Harden, Cade Cunningham, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Them type of guards, big guards.”
All three he named have impressive resumes in the league. James Harden is an elite scorer who can also facilitate at a high level. The same goes for Cunningham, who has finally been recognized as an All-Star.
Shai Gigleous-Alexander, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the best players and is an MVP Finalist this season.