San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper underwent surgical procedure to restore {a partially} torn collateral ligament in his left thumb, an damage suffered Wednesday in a preseason exercise.
Dylan Harper Hopes To Return In Time For Season Opener
Harper, 19, may be prepared for the beginning of the 2025-26 common season, in response to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Spurs open their schedule in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 22.
If Harper is ready to return in time for San Antonio’s season opener, he’ll face off in opposition to rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 total choose within the 2025 NBA draft.
San Antonio chosen Harper with the No. 2 total choose on this yr’s draft out of Rutgers College. He was additionally the highest-drafted participant within the faculty’s historical past.
Dylan Harper is chosen 2nd total by the @spurs within the 2025 #NBADraft offered by State Farm!
Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/myiSSVj3PT
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
“I really feel all of the feelings proper now,” Harper mentioned following his choice. “I’m excited and I’m prepared. While you play with a bunch of nice gamers, that can carry one of the best out of you. San Antonio has an important younger core. I’m simply able to get in there and make an influence any method I can with them.”
In 29 video games (28 begins) of his lone collegiate season at Rutgers, he averaged 19.4 factors, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 32.6 minutes per contest whereas taking pictures 48.4% from the sphere and 33.3% from 3-point territory.
Harper, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, was named to the third-team All-Huge Ten and the Huge Ten All-Freshman Staff with the Scarlet Knights.
Harper Scored The Most Factors By A Freshman In Rutgers Historical past
Per School Basketball Reference, Harper completed eleventh in factors (564) within the Huge Ten, fifteenth in assists (117), thirteenth in steals (42), eleventh in area objectives (194), thirteenth in made free throws (126), seventh in participant effectivity score (24.6), and third in utilization share (29%).
His 564 whole factors had been probably the most by a freshman in a season in class historical past.
Harper had a number of notable outings final season, together with scoring 36 factors in an extra time win in opposition to Notre Dame on Nov. 26, then 37 factors versus Alabama a day later, and posting a triple-double in opposition to Columbia on Dec. 3.
That was the primary triple-double by a Scarlet Knight since Roy Hinson in 1983. The New Jersey native then hit the buzzer-beater to defeat in-state rival Seton Corridor on Dec. 14.
Following this yr’s NBA draft, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 16 factors and 4 rebounds in two Summer season League video games with the Spurs in July.
Harper is anticipated to hitch De’Aaron Fox and the previous two NBA rookies of the yr — Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Fort — within the San Antonio rotation this season.
Nevertheless, he might probably miss the primary week of the common season.
