Dylan Harper’s explosive playoff run has an ex-NBA star predicting a James Harden-like exit
A former NBA star said Dylan Harper could eventually face a situation similar to what James Harden experienced with the Thunder.
Dylan Harper’s explosive playoff run has an ex-NBA star predicting a James Harden-like exit originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . There is no denying how phenomenal San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper has been.
The No. 2 overall pick has established himself as one of the incredible rookies in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. However, with the Spurs already stacked in the backcourt due to De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, former NBA player Jeff Teague believes Harper could eventually face a situation similar to what James Harden experienced with the Oklahoma City Thunder .
“You see it, everybody can see it,” Teague said. “Eventually he’s going to go to the USA thing and somebody going to say, ‘You should be having your own team. ’” As Fox missed Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals because of an ankle injury, Harper was inserted into the starting lineup for the first playoff start of his career.
The rookie delivered a massive performance, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 steals in the Spurs’ double-overtime victory. It marked only the fifth start of Harper’s season, as he has spent most of his rookie year leading the second unit off the bench. Harper has now scored 151 points during his first postseason appearance.