The moment San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper saw his rookie contract, he couldn’t control his reaction. That split-second response perfectly captured what makes this moment so special – not just another NBA draft pick signing his deal, but a kid realizing his childhood dreams are about to make him wealthier than his NBA champion father ever was.
Why Did The San Antonio Spurs Select Dylan Harper?
Selecting Harper to pair with Wembanyama came as a surprise to no one. Harper was almost unanimously viewed as the second-best prospect in the draft behind Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who the Dallas Mavericks selected with the No. 1 overall selection. If there was any surprise, it was that the Spurs actually won the second pick in the lottery despite having just a 6.3% chance to do so.
Harper now joins a budding superstar in Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year, who the Spurs picked with the fourth-overall selection in the 2024 Draft. Adding an athlete like Harper to an already impressive young core has the Spurs once again looking like they will become contenders for years to come. They also possess plenty of assets to possibly make a big splash in the trade market and move their current timeline ahead of schedule.
MORE: DYLAN HARPER SHOWS OFF INSANE ATHLETISM
Harper was impressive in his NBA “debut” in the Las Vegas Summer League, scoring 16 points in just 20 minutes in his first game. Harper wound up being shut down after just two games, where he averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists against the Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
The New Jersey native also has no shortage of confidence, boldly expressing that the Spurs would be returning to the postseason.
How Does Harper’s Contract Compare to His Father’s NBA Career?
With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Spurs selected Rutgers guard Harper. Harper is the son of five-time NBA Champion Ron Harper, Sr., best known for his time with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers under Phil Jackson. He is the brother of Ron Harper, Jr., who also attended Rutgers and went undrafted. Harper, Jr. spent the 2025 season with the Detroit Pistons and their G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
Harper is very excited about the challenges of the NBA, and when signing his first NBA deal, Harper didn’t hold back.
“Dayum,” Harper said, obviously excited about the deal.
“Dayum”
Dylan Harper’s reaction after seeing his rookie contract was priceless 🤣
(via @spurs / YT)
pic.twitter.com/IUDXhljC4N— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 26, 2025
“My bad,” he added after swearing.
Despite having a father who played in the league, this was obviously quite a moment for Harper. In fact, this contract will have him out-earning his father’s entire 15-year career, so there’s another reason why it is easy to see why Harper couldn’t contain his excitement.
After years of success, including six Western Conference Titles and five NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014), the Spurs were finally forced to rebuild and have been building around Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48.4% from the field, 33.3% from deep, and 75.0% from the free throw line in 29 games for Rutgers last season.
