Dylan Harper was drafted second overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. While at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights guard wore #2. Harper continuing to wear #2 with the Spurs is a no-brainer. But for many, that #2 evokes rough memories.

Kawhi Leonard wore #2 during his time with the Spurs. From 2011-2018, Leonard developed into one of the best two-way players in the league. An incident involving Zaza Pachulia in the 2017 Western Conference Finals re-aggravated an ankle injury, stunting his career. The following season, Leonard developed a right quadriceps injury. He was sidelined for all but nine games in the 2017-2018 season. Tensions between Leonard and the Spurs organization developed, ending with a trade to the Toronto Raptors where he made a full recovery, won another title, and nailed down Finals MVP honors.

Ever since, Leonard’s exit from San Antonio has resonated negatively with Spurs fans. During each return to The Alamo City, Leonard has been met with consistent booing. So much so, that Gregg Popovich took to the in-arena microphone and addressed the crowd.

Leonard’s legacy with the Spurs remains a topic of controversy for fans. Since 2018, no one has worn #2.

Dylan Harper has shown signs of being the exact type of player that aligns with the Spurs culture. His father, Ron Harper, had an NBA career spanning fifteen years. His mother, Maria Pizarro, played college ball at the University of New Orleans. She’s been an assistant coach at Don Bosco Prep where Dylan attended.

Harper’s understanding of the game paired with his level of maturity gives promise that he may one day be the player most associated with #2.

The Spurs other draft pick this summer is Carter Bryant, who will wear #11, the recent history of which is mired with controversy.

After going undrafted in 2016, Bryn Forbes earned himself a spot on the Spurs roster. He spent his first four seasons in San Antonio before heading to Milwaukee and grabbing himself an NBA title with the Bucks. In 2023, Forbes signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was waived the following February. Four days later he was arrested on suspicion of assault with bodily injury. The charges were later dismissed.

A year later he was arrested on charges of assault involving the mother of his children. He has since maintained a low profile. Most recently, he played for Santeros de Aguada, a Puerto Rican basketball team.

Admittedly, Forbes off-court altercations transpired while he was no longer a member of the San Antonio Spurs. The controversy that befell the next #11 did so as the player was making a name for himself in San Antonio.

In 2021, the Spurs used the 12th pick in the draft to acquire Josh Primo. Primo had made the SEC All-Freshman Year in his lone year with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The young man showed a lot of promise as the Spurs began pushing a youth movement as part of their rebuild. Unfortunately, according to Primo, he was dealing with previous trauma, and he was waived four games into his second season while facing charges of indecent exposure, which were eventually dropped.

The result was a chink in the armor regarding the Spurs history of drafting and developing well-adjusted and upstanding players. Primo’s profile with the team was immediately deleted and made a covert exit.

Jordan McLaughin wore #11 for the Spurs this season, but didn’t stay long enough to make much of an impact on the fanbase.

Carter Bryant, considered to be a steal in the draft at the fourteenth pick, already made splash with fans and staked his claim on community outreach. Bryant is a promising player, capable of leaving his stamp on the Silver & Black for some time to come.

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.