Dylan Harper selected No. 2 by the San Antonio Spurs
Bryan Kalbrosky breaks down the game of Rutgers star Dylan Harper who was just selected in the NBA Draft.
Sports Pulse
Riley Minix’s past 12 months have been nothing short of a whirlwind.
Going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft after leading Morehead State to the NCAA Tournament, the 24-year old Vero Beach native earned a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs by turning heads at the Summer League.
Minix returns to the West Coast for the California Classic and to Sin City for the Vegas Summer League with a different motive from his initial appearance. Last season was simply about making the team.
This year, the 6-foot-7 forward plans to prove that he’s an asset, and, more importantly, that he’s healthy after recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
“I think I’m in a good spot,” Minix said. “I know that the Spurs are a great organization and I feel like they trusted me just to keep me on this two-way (contract) even through my injury. I’ve gotten back to work, been rehabbing and growing my confidence back in my shoulder and my body. Coming up soon, I think I’m gonna be ready and I’m confident in that and the work I put in to get back right. I’m going in with a chip on my shoulder, so to speak.”
‘It was just a normal play’
Minix had his rookie professional season derailed after tearing his labrum during a G-League game against the Iowa Wolves on Jan. 1. He had surgery and was announced out for the remainder of the season two weeks later.
He vividly remembers the play, which appeared routine. Shortly after a slight bump while guarding a ball handler on a drive, Minix reached in for a strip when his shoulder gave out.
“There was no insane fall or crazy catch or rebound, that would’ve been a lot cooler,” he joked. “It was just a normal play and it just wound up popping out. It was all about, where do we go from here?”
Minix suffered a similar injury on a similar play during his sophomore season while playing for Southeastern University, so he had an idea what the road to recovery would look like.
His surgery was performed by Dr. John Kelly, an orthopedic surgeon and the director of the Sports Medicine Shoulder Program at the University of Pennsylvania. From there, Minix worked with the Spurs’ medical team to rehab his shoulder. He credited Marilyn Adams, director of performance therapy, and Logan Sullivan, senior performance therapist, as key members of the staff to get him back to 100%.
“I think when it first happened, there was a lot of sadness and frustration playing back in my head over and over,” he said. “Then it’s like, ‘OK, I’m playing for the San Antonio Spurs. I’m going to get a great doctor to look at my shoulder, to do the surgery and then build your confidence in the fact that you have a great group of people around you that are going to help you through the process.’ The fact that I’ve done this rehab and surgery before kind of elevated that confidence even more. … I think I did a good job of changing my mindset and my perspective throughout the process and getting to the point where it was about improving and not sitting in frustration.”
‘An amazing moment even though it was just seven minutes’
Prior to the injury, Minix put up solid numbers while appearing in 19 games with the G League Austin Spurs.
He averaged 19.3 points per game on nearly 53% shooting from the field and 42% shooting from 3-point territory. The forward also put up an average of 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks.
The highlight of rookie season occurred on Nov. 6, when he lived out the dream of millions as well as his own.
Minix logged his first minutes on an NBA floor as he played the final 6 minutes, 45 seconds of San Antonio’s blowout loss to the Houston Rockets. He missed his only shot from the field – a 3-pointer – but he entered the stat sheet with two rebounds.
“It was amazing, it was an amazing moment even though it was just seven minutes,” Minix said. “It was great to be out there with a couple of rookies as well. It was something I had always dreamed about, to play at that level and get on the court. It’s something I’ll never forget, but I believe there’s more to come.”
‘Just getting back out there’
Minix says his left shoulder has been pain-free for the past month, as he’s able to absorb and dish out contact.
In addition to being healthy, the forward enters Summer League with some security with the Spurs as they tendered his qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent when free agency opened on July 1. The organization has the right to match any offer from another team.
Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, San Antonio’s two lottery picks from this past NBA Draft, will get the brunt of the attention when the ball is tipped off in July. But another storyline to follow is Minix, who is eager to shake off any rust.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve stepped on a court and played an organized basketball game,” he said. “It’s been just over seven months, so that’s what I’m most looking forward to, just getting back out there.”
2025 San Antonio Spurs Summer League ScheduleCalifornia Classic
Miami – 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 5 – NBA TV
Golden State – 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 6 – NBA TV
L.A. Lakers – 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 8 – ESPN
Vegas Summer League
Philadelphia – 10 p.m. Thursday, July 10 – ESPN
Dallas – 4 p.m. Saturday, July 12 – ESPN
Utah – 8:30 p.m. Monday, July 14 – NBA TV
Charlotte – 7 p.m. Thursday, July 1 – ESPN
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Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.