The Spurs won’t have a third consecutive Rookie of the Year, as the Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg claimed that honor, but that doesn’t mean Dylan Harper’s excellent play will go unrecognized. The second overall pick of the 2025 draft got a spot in the All-Rookie First Team, the league announced.
Harper received 93 first-place votes and seven second-place votes, trailing only Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe, who all got 100 first-place votes. Rounding up the top five is Grizzlies rookie Cedric
Coward. Out of the five, Harper is the only one to come off the bench for most of the season. He also played the fewest minutes per game, but his impact was undeniable, and his spot was deserved.
Had Harper landed on a non-contender, he would have likely had better numbers and potentially been a Rookie of the Year finalist, at the very least. In San Antonio, he was asked to provide bench scoring while sharing the ball with an All-Star veteran like De’Aaron Fox and the 2024 Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle. Harper was impressive in his role and has shown his tremendous potential with standout performances both in the regular season and now in the playoffs. The 2025 class looks like a strong one, but Harper still has a chance to be the best player to come out of it as he grows into a bigger role and rounds out his game.
The second team features New Orleans’ Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, Sacramento’s Maxime Raynaud, Utah’s Ace Bailey, and Toronto’s Collin Murray-Boyles.
The Spurs’ other first-rounder in 2025, Carter Bryant, was among the other players receiving votes, but his three second-place selections didn’t get him close to a spot on an All-Rookie team. Like Harper, Bryant would have probably received more minutes in a rebuilding team, but has been brought along slowly in San Antonio, showing flashes of potential and elite athleticism at the wing.
Harper averaged 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor and an encouraging 34 percent from three on 22.6 minutes a game during the regular season.
