San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper underwent surgical procedure to restore {a partially} torn collateral ligament in his left thumb, an harm suffered Wednesday in a preseason exercise.
Dylan Harper Hopes To Return In Time For Season Opener
Harper, 19, is likely to be prepared for the beginning of the 2025-26 common season, in line with 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 general decide within the 2025 NBA draft.
San Antonio chosen Harper with the No. 2 general decide on this 12 months’s draft out of Rutgers College. He was additionally the highest-drafted participant within the faculty’s historical past.
Dylan Harper is chosen 2nd general 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 may deliver the perfect out of you. San Antonio has an ideal younger core. I’m simply able to get in there and make an affect any approach 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 capturing 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-Massive Ten and the Massive 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 Massive Ten, fifteenth in assists (117), thirteenth in steals (42), eleventh in area objectives (194), thirteenth in made free throws (126), seventh in participant effectivity ranking (24.6), and third in utilization share (29%).
His 564 complete factors had been essentially 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 12 months’s NBA draft, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 16 factors and 4 rebounds in two Summer time League video games with the Spurs in July.
Harper is predicted to affix De’Aaron Fox and the previous two NBA rookies of the 12 months — Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Citadel — within the San Antonio rotation this season.
Nonetheless, he may doubtlessly miss the primary week of the common season.
