The odds that a player on the San Antonio Spurs will win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the third straight year are slim. Don't tell that to Carter Bryant though. The No. 14 overall pick says if he doesn't win the award, that means his new teammate, No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, will have beaten him to the punch.
“I mean, one of us is gonna get it, so whether it's one or two or whoever gets it, it doesn't matter,” Bryant said. “I'm just trying to win basketball games at a high level.”
After Victor Wembanyama became the third player in Spurs history to win the honor, Stephon Castle doubled the franchise's ROTY tally by taking home the trophy this past season. Bryant isn't alone in thinking this, as Harper also sees the possibility for a three-peat.
“I mean, definitely, I think that's definitely a goal of mine is to make it three in a row,” Harper said. “And I think the coaching staff and I think the players are gonna probably make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent. So, definitely.”
While San Antonio missed out on the playoffs last season, it's clear they are a team on the rise in the Western Conference. If Harper and Bryant can come in and make an impact right away, the Spurs could quickly emerge as one of the top teams in the West. Harper knows transitioning from college to the pros will be difficult, but he's excited to make that jump.
Article Continues Below“It's definitely an adjustment,” Harper has already said of his upcoming transition to the NBA, “In my head I'm thinking, ‘This is really my college (experience),' because Rutgers was right down the road, 50 minutes. That's like high school part two for me. But, now officially being far away, just excited. Honestly, ready for this new journey in my life and I'm gonna take it with grace and I'm also just gonna be happy wherever I end up.”
Perhaps making things easier, this is a journey Harper will take alongside his friend Bryant.
“I'm looking forward to playing with my guy, D. Harp,” Bryant continued. “I mean, it's been a long time coming. We had a lot of conversations throughout high school whether we all were trying to play together in college, just maybe playing together at some point. So, for him, to be my draft buddy and being able to both go in the lottery and be able to represent San Antonio is dope.”
That Harper and Bryant are playing specifically for the Spurs matters to both guys.
“Man, I feel great. I feel good. I almost cried, “Harper admitted. “Everything, in just every emotion you could possibly feel I felt during that moment. I was ready to get with that organization man. Ready to get things rolling I'm just super excited and happy and just always grateful for everything.”
“Definitely,' Bryant added. “I think I just want to bring more attention to whatever organization I was blessed to be drafted by. But obviously San Antonio just has a rich history of having a lot of intention behind everything they do.”
The Spurs had every intention of drafting Dylan Harper. They targeted him knowing that the Dallas Mavericks would take Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. They didn't think Carter Bryant would be available when they were back on the clock at 14, to the point where they considered trading up to get him.
With perhaps the best haul of any team in the 2025 draft, San Antonio has added key pieces to what was already a promising young core. Whether one beats out Flagg – or the other – for Rookie of the Year remains to be seen.
