Although he has yet to step foot on an NBA court wearing a Spurs jersey, Dylan Harper has unshakable confidence in his new team and high expectations for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.
Cooper Flagg was the biggest name in the 2025 NBA Draft and was selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks. Right behind Flagg, Harper was chosen with the second pick by the San Antonio Spurs.
Harper finished his freshman year with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and established himself as a top player in the class. The Spurs were lucky enough in the lottery to earn the second pick after a disappointing season, and used it to add Harper to their roster. While it might be too early to tell, Harper didn’t hesitate to reassure Spurs fans that next season will end on a better note.
Can Dylan Harper Help the Spurs Break Their Six-Year Playoff Drought?
The Spurs are considered a legendary franchise. With stars like David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and others, the team has won five championships. However, they haven’t seen much success in the past decade.
It’s been six seasons since the Spurs made the playoffs. The last time was in the 2018-19 NBA season. They squeezed in as the No. 7 seed but lost in the First Round to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a dramatic seven-game series.
Since then, the Spurs have missed the playoffs each year. They drafted Victor Wembanyama two seasons ago and even added veterans like Chris Paul and De’Aaron Fox, but the team is still stuck in a postseason drought. When asked about this issue, Harper promised fans that things would be different in 2025-26.
“The Spurs fanbase is craving another playoff run. Haven’t been to the playoffs in six years. What’s your message to Spurs fans?”
“That’s gonna change really quick. That’s gonna change quick. We’re gonna make the playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/3Yzg8MYZdF
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) June 28, 2025
“I mean, that’s going to change really quick. That’s going to change quick…I mean, we’re going to make the playoffs. I think for the Spurs fans and everyone else, I think our group is very exciting. There’s a whole lot to look forward to. The sky’s the limit for this group that we got.”
Although the Spurs finished last season in 13th place in the West with a 34-48 record, adding Harper and having a healthy Wembanyama back on the court could change things quickly. Now fans are wondering if Harper’s promise will come true and if the team can finally break the playoff drought.
