Dylan Harper Talks Spurs' NBA Finals Loss vs. Knicks, Wemby's Contract and More in B/R Interview

After an impressive emergence in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper was the talk of the town.

Despite the Spurs losing the series in five games, Harper caught the attention of the rest of the basketball world as he established himself as a future impact player. San Antonio veteran wing Devin Vassell dubbed the 20-year-old as "a star in the making" and praised him for persevering through being "upset with playing time and different roles he was in" throughout his first season in the league.

While speaking with Bleacher Report, Harper addressed Vassell's comments and made it clear that his teammate was simply referring to his competitive nature, and he's ready to excel in any role he sees during his sophomore campaign in 2026-27.

"I think what Dev said, I think anyone who's competitive or has a competitive spirit or a competitive mind, kind of goes through the ups and downs," Harper told B/R. "I feel like it wasn't a bad thing what he said; he said it more like I used it as fuel to the fire, and I think the good came out of it. I think for my role, I feel like whatever role or situation that's in front of me, I'll be able to thrive in."

Harper, who is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., brought his best on the grandest stage of them all. After averaging 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists across 69 regular-season games, he averaged 18.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the NBA Finals against the Knicks. He came off the bench in all five games but still finished as the Spurs' second-leading scorer behind star center Victor Wembanyama.

Still, nearly two months removed from the NBA Finals loss, Harper admitted that it continues to haunt him, but he will use it as motivation.

"You don't ever get over something like that. Any team that loses in the NBA Finals kind of feels like they dropped the ball," he said. "But I mean, it's not much getting over it, I feel like you have to move on if you want to get to the next thing. But, just kind of using it as fuel to the fire and having that in the back of my mind."

The second pick in the 2025 draft, Harper was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after his solid year, but he didn't crack the top three in the voting for Rookie of the Year. While he said he can be critical of himself at times, he also has the perspective to recognize that he still has a lot of room to grow.

"I feel like I had a good year. We're human, there's definitely things I wish I could've gotten back, individually and as a team," Harper said. "I feel like the biggest thing for me is just staying composed and not getting into a headframe where it's like, 'You gotta do this, this and this immediately.' Just following the path and staying on the grind."

That mindset was taught to Harper by his father, who reached the mountaintop while sharing the floor with legends like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.

"I think it was more just telling me to keep growing as a player, as a person," Harper said of his dad's evaluation of his rookie year. "I feel like his biggest message to me was to stay composed and stay poised. He understands the work I've put in on a day-to-day basis, so for him, what he told me was just stay ready, be ready when the time comes, and I feel like that's the type of mindset I've had all year."

Harper has been able to pick up more gems from his father while they're in Chicago together this week. In addition to eating at some of his dad's favorite spots from his Chicago Bulls days, Harper will make his first appearance at The National Sports Collectors Convention alongside eBay Live seller Blez as part of an exclusive BOGO basketball break on Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

The livestream will feature every Topps basketball release from October 2025 to today, and if one of Harper's rookie cards is pulled, the collector who hits it will be invited on stage for a special moment with the rising star.

"I feel like the biggest thing that I want to get out of it is connecting with community, connecting with the fans, and obviously, partnering with Blez and trying to go out there and pull my Chrome Topps rookie card," Harper said. "I feel like if anyone pulls that, it's gonna be a great day."

Harper said he's been interested in collecting sports memorabilia "probably forever," as he grew up admiring his father's collection of items from the likes of Jordan and Magic Johnson. He spent his rookie year swapping jerseys with some of the greatest players of the current generation, naming his LeBron James and Kevin Durant jerseys as his most special possessions. However, one jersey managed to elude him, and he will be motivated to rectify that during his second year in the NBA.

"Definitely a Steph Curry jersey, that's probably the biggest one," Harper said. "The two times he played, I didn't play, and the two times I played, he didn't play. So I look forward to getting that opportunity."

For now, Harper will be focused on working on "a little bit of everything" this offseason as the Spurs gear up to chase another trip to the NBA Finals. San Antonio landed veteran free-agent forward Tobias Harris on a two-year deal before signing Wembanyama to a five-year, $252 million maximum contract extension, less than the $303 million supermax deal he could've signed.

Harper said Wembanyama's decision to free up roughly $50 million over the next five years for San Antonio highlights his commitment to keeping a championship-caliber roster around him.

"I feel like we all knew the kind of person he was, but with him doing this, I think it shows even more that he's very unselfish," Harper said. "He wants what's best for the team, and at the end of the day, he's gonna make sure that everyone eats."

While Wembanyama is one of the NBA's fastest-rising stars, Harper revealed that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has remained humble and true to himself.

"The humor he has, I feel like a lot of people don't see that because he's always in a light where he has to be serious and he has to go out there and perform and be at his best," he said. "But as non-regular as he is, he still has that regular humility. He likes to play around, he likes to joke. He's funny, in a sense."

However, the rest of the NBA saw the Spurs' swift rise to title contention as no laughing matter. This offseason saw significant movement across the league, with James and Jaylen Brown landing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Miami Heat, Kawhi Leonard returning to the Toronto Raptors, LaMelo Ball being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and much more.

Despite all of the new faces in new places, Harper said he wasn't wowed by any of the changes.

"I really don't have a comment on it," he said. "I feel like it's the NBA, and teams around the NBA are just trying to get better. This offseason's probably been loud, but every team is trying to get better and find ways to add the right people and the right puzzle pieces to the team."

Harper added that the Spurs are pleased with their place among the top title contenders in the league entering the 2026-27 campaign.

"Both conferences are very tough, and I feel like there's no off nights in this league," he said. "I think for us, we're happy to have the same group and add a piece, so I feel like we're very confident and very happy going into the season."