No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper will not play with the San Antonio Spurs in the California Classic due to a minor groin issue, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio News-Express.
The Spurs made the announcement following their first practice ahead of the event, which begins on Saturday in San Francisco. He will travel with the Spurs for their three-game stint and is hopeful of playing in the NBA Summer League, beginning July 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Despite the setback, Harper made an impression on the team in its first organized session ahead of summer league. The team is eager to have him available to play.
“It is minor, so he is doing OK,” Spurs assistant coach Mike Noyes said. “He has been on the court. He has been a terrific teammate. You can already hear his vocal leadership, so we’re excited. Whenever he does rejoin us, we’ll be ready to take him with open arms.”
Harper was a third-team All-American honorable mention by the AP last season at Rutgers, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, four assists and 1.4 steals. He registered 20 20-point games, setting the Rutgers single-season scoring record by a freshman (564 points).
The 19-year-old was considered the consensus choice as the second pick and the best player in the draft behind Cooper Flagg, who went first to the Dallas Mavericks. He was a consensus five-star prospect and lived up to the hype with a sensational freshman campaign.
Harper has drawn comparisons to Cade Cunningham as a bigger guard who can score, play with physicality and see the court well. He is just looking to ingratiate himself well and help the team break its six-year playoff drought in any role asked of him by new coach Mitch Johnson.
