Spurs have an immediate De'Aaron Fox problem if they draft Dylan Harper

Although the NBA Draft is still weeks away, it already seems that the San Antonio Spurs drafting Dylan Harper second overall is just a formality. The Spurs finished with the eighth-worst record after some late-season tanking and lucked into another high lottery pick.

They'll jump at the opportunity to select a player with star potential, even though his fit with star De'Aaron Fox is questionable at best. Fox is blazing fast and can help the Spurs push the pace and get out in transition or attack the paint in the half-court.

However, with the addition of Harper, San Antonio's biggest flaw, which is shooting, will become exacerbated. Harper's unorthodox release likely will have to be significantly reworked in order for him to become a possible shooter in the NBA.

To his credit, Harper shot 37% on his 57 spot-up threes in his single season at Rutgers. That is encouraging, and he also didn't seem shy in taking threes, which is another positive.

Harper actually has drawn comparison to Fox for his size and slashing ability, and while having two big guards who can relentlessly attack the paint is a great thing, having Stephon Castle too complicates things.

De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper may struggle to play together

All three players likely wouldn't share the floor much next season. That will give Fox and Castle time to jibe with one another. Castle has also been working on his 3-point shot and flashed signs that he could be an efficient high-volume 3-point shooter during his rookie season.

In the twelve games that preceded the all-star break, Castle drilled 40.4% of his 3.9 3-point attempts per game. Fox, himself, shot 36.9% from three on 7.8 attempts per game in 2023–24. If Fox is at least a willing 3-point shooter who can hit around 33.3% of his threes and Castle can be a reliable shooter, then they and Harper can coexist.

There is also the underrated strength of a long-term pairing of Fox, Castle, and Harper. Fox is big for a point guard at 6'4, Castle is 6'6 with a 6'9 wingspan, which is big enough to play small forward, and Harper is 6'5 1/2 in shoes with a 6'10 1/2 wingspan. That is a lot different than playing three small guards together, and they should each be able to hold their own defensively.

The Spurs trio of Fox, Castle, and Harper has its strengths

On the offensive end of the floor, it could be a struggle. That might not be an immediate issue, assuming Harper serves as the backup to Fox and Castle in the second unit. However, how well they will fit hinges on Castle and Harper's development as shooters.

In retrospect, if the Spurs had waited until the summer to try and trade for Fox, then they probably wouldn't have pulled the trigger on the deal that they ultimately made. On the other hand, they already have an All-Star point guard on the roster and will do their best to utilize his skills.

Overall, having a trio of Fox, Castle, and Harper is a great problem to have. Whether the trio can thrive together remains a big question mark, but the Spurs will have plenty of time to determine the fate of this guard core.