The San Antonio Spurs struck gold on draft night when they landed Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Although Cooper Flagg was the consensus number one pick, allowing Harper to be on the board with the following pick, that's not where the Spurs won the draft. When Arizona forward Carter Bryant continued to fall down the board and into their laps with the 14th pick, that is where the Spurs won the draft.
Landing what projects to be two-high level impact players from day one with a very high ceiling is something hard to do, and the Spurs did just that.
Carter Bryant shines for the Spurs
As mentioned, Dylan Harper has yet to see the floor in a Spurs uniform in the NBA Summer League, as he recovers from a groin injury. But Carter Bryant has looked very good so far. In the two games Carter's played in, he's averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 22.7 minutes.
In a matchup with the Sixers last night, midway through the second quarter, Braynt leaped up and rejected back-to-back shots underneath the rim, showing his athleticism and defensive prowess on full display.
This isn't anything new from Bryant, who repeatedly demonstrated as a freshman at Arizona that his defensive instincts and willingness to take pride on that side of the floor were unrivaled in his class. Bryant at Arizona averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. But most of his contributions didn’t show up in the stat sheet, and his impact on the game was greater than any number could quantify.
Spurs are looking scary
Under Head Coach Mitch Johnson, the Spurs have been trending in the right direction, and this core is coming together very nicely.
After landing future superstar Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs front office has continued to nail their draft picks and acquisitions. San Antonio made the huge splash by trading for De'Aaron Fox, they landed Stephon Castle, who won the Rookie of the Year award, and they just nailed back-to-back draft picks in Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant.
Bryant is one of the most athletic and versatile defensive wings on this Spurs roster, and it will be interesting to see if he can find solid rotation minutes this season alongside guys like Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagnie.