Dylan Harper continues to get antsy in San Antonio.
The San Antonio Spurs guard Harper is expected to request a starting spot next season, Michael C. Wright of ESPN reported on Friday. Wright notes that calls from Harper’s camp for him to start are expected to grow louder heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
Harper, 20, was the Spurs’ No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. But he suddenly became a massively important player for San Antonio down the stretch of the season and their NBA Finals run, despite being a sixth man. Harper averaged 11.8 points and 3.9 assists per game during the regular season and then 14.1 points and 2.7 assists per game against tougher defenses in the playoffs, even posting multiple 20-point games in the Finals against the New York Knicks.
As it stands right now though, Harper is still stuck on the depth chart behind teammates De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. A recent report about Fox’s status in San Antonio is also now serving as bad news for Harper’s outlook.
Just last week, we learned that Harper was frustrated throughout the season with his fairly limited role on the Spurs. Harper also especially seemed unhappy with the dynamic between himself and Fox, as illustrated by a controversial TikTok that Harper reposted earlier this month.
Of course, Harper does not have a whole lot of leverage here since he is still on his rookie contract and cannot even become a restricted free agent until 2029. But San Antonio may still have to watch out here because of the potential of having an unhappy young star on their hands in Harper.
