Dylan Harper - NBA Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

My first thought when the Spurs got pick No. 2 was will Harper and De'Aaron Fox be able to co-exist in the backcourt? Harper is alone in Tier ll of draft prospects in this class, so it would be shocking to see anyone but Harper taken with this pick. Would the Spurs consider moving this pick for a superstar ... such as Giannis Antetokounmpo? Who knows. Regardless, the Spurs should take the best player on the board and figure out the rest later.

Harper is regarded as one of the top lead guards in the upcoming draft class. His size enables him to get to his spots, score virtually all over the court and get to the free-throw line after averaging 5.8 attempts per game with the Scarlet Knights.

The 19-year-old is considered the consensus No. 2 player in the draft this year. Though the Spurs have De'Aaron Fox and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle in the backcourt, it'd be hard to see the organization pass on such a highly touted prospect like Harper.

Harper was seen as being exceptionally likely to be the No. 2 pick before the lottery. I think that's still the most likely outcome, but San Antonio getting this pick does throw things for a bit of a loop.

The Spurs just acquired De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline. Additionally, Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle plays a similar role to Harper as a combo guard. Ultimately, I think the Spurs should just take the best talent on the board, and that's Harper. I think he's a better prospect than Castle, and thus, Castle's presence shouldn't stop you from selecting him. On top of that, getting the No. 2 pick may have actually put the Spurs in the driver's seat for a potential superstar trade. I'm not convinced that any team will have a better top asset available for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade than this pick.

Harper's 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field as a freshman guard put him in rarefied air, as few players have gotten all that close to such marks in their first year. He also creates rim pressure at an elite level, with the ability to get into the paint and finish at the basket at a serious clip with his impressive array of gathers and touch finishes at 6-6 as a lead guard.

The biggest question for Harper remains his pull-up game as a shooter, as he only hit 29.2 percent of his pull-up 3s. I watched Harper work out recently, and it's clear that working as a scorer in ball screens, re-screens and dribble handoffs is a real emphasis for his pre-draft process. He shot the ball well in the workout that I saw. I felt like the ball would sometimes flatten out on him this season at Rutgers, but he's starting to work on getting more consistent arc on the shot off pull-ups. Between that, his physical frame being NBA-ready, and his intel all coming back very positively even in the face of a tough season at Rutgers, Harper is very well-positioned.

Pro Comparisons: Cade Cunningham/Jalen Brunson

Dylan Harper's downhill game, elite finishing package and shotmaking capabilities have extended a gap between him and the No. 3 prospect.

He should be interchangeable between both guard spots thanks to a dangerous handle, 6'6" size and 39.0 percent catch-and-shoot stroke. However, you draft Harper to initiate offense, put pressure on the rim, create opportunities and have a player who can take over stretches of a game with his elite driving ability and confidence pulling up, stepping back or shooting from deep.

Team Fit: The Spurs' young core would be fully loaded if Harper joined Victor Wembanyama, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and this club's bounty of high-end role players in the Alamo City. But do the Spurs, who brokered a big deal for De'Aaron Fox in February, really want to add another young guard with an iffy jumper to the mix? Or will they turn their lottery winnings into another aggressive move for established talent? Stay tuned. —Zach Buckley, NBA Analyst

Scouting report: Harper did his best to keep the No. 1 pick conversation interesting for parts of the season with his skill level, shot creation and scoring prowess. He also can get to where he wants on the floor while demonstrating strong passing ability.

The physical nature of the NBA playoffs has emphasized why a sturdy playmaker of Harper's type can be so valuable, with his ability to finish through contact and draw fouls a major part of his appeal, along with the way he fills up the box score with an excellent feel for the game. -- Givony

NBA intel and fit: The Spurs were already in as enviable a position as any team in the lottery, with two picks in the top 14 to bolster a roster that already features back-to-back NBA Rookie of the Year winners in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, and now jump from 8 to 2 in the draft lottery in a massive stroke of good fortune.

While Harper's fit alongside De'Aaron Fox and Castle looks far from seamless, it would be very surprising to see San Antonio's forward-thinking front office pass here on Harper, who is widely considered the second-best prospect in the draft after Flagg. This opens up an opportunity for a team with a bigger need for a primary shot creator to make a move to trade up to this pick and perhaps convey added shooting to the Spurs, something their roster sorely needs to surround Wembanyama. -- Givony

Harper emerged as the front-runner for the No. 2 overall player in this class early in his freshman season, and maintained that status despite Rutgers finishing under .500 with two projected top-five picks. Harper's combination of downhill scoring, pull-up shooting potential, and live dribble passing as a sturdy 6'6 guard offers an archetype every NBA team covets. Harper has a special ability to split double-teams and get to the rim as a driver. He converted 70 percent of his rim opportunities even without the nuclear athleticism of guards like John Wall and Russell Westbrook. He scans as more of a scorer than a playmaker at first blush, but he's still a willing passer who was let down by his teammates on plenty of potential assists. The nice thing about Harper is that he can play either backcourt spot on both ends of the floor, showing an impressive ability to pressure the ball defensively with the size to give smaller guards problems. His shooting will be his swing skill after making only 33.3 percent of his threes and 75 percent of his free throws. If he shoots it well in the league, he's going to be a highly valuable as a big guard who create for himself and others and play on or off the ball.

Elite footwork in the paint is a huge plus for any position, but it's a literal game changer for a guard in the playoffs. It means that their effectiveness around the basket isn't dependent on balls-to-the-wall speed, and they can continue to generate quality possessions when the game slows way down and becomes a half-court battle. Harper has that kind of footwork, along with terrific positional size and an ability to guard multiple positions. He might not play with San Antonio's first unit right away, given that the team just traded for De'Aaron Fox at the deadline, but his size will allow him to play next to any combination of Fox, Stephon Castle, or Devin Vassell. Ultimately, taking Harper is the smart asset play. Large lead handlers, with the upside to be an offensive hub, are pretty favorable square-one players for any team that might be looking to start over.

Victor Wembanyama finds a new running mate in Dylan Harper, the draft's second-best prospect, who projects as a lead guard who can play on and off the ball.

With Antetokounmpo searching for his next franchise, the question now will be whether the Spurs trade this pick to land the Greek Freak or not. Harper is a big-bodied lefty combo guard with NBA blood in his veins, as the son of Ron Harper, who was a 20/5/5 guy before winning five titles as a role player. Like his father, Harper has a high-floor with the skill, poise and playmaking instincts to dictate the game at his pace. He obviously has talent, but the Spurs just traded for De'Aaron Fox and already have Stephon Castle. There's too much overlap with Harper, meaning the Spurs could look to trade down or out.