On Thursday, the NBA released its annual GM survey for the 2026-27 season.
48 questions were asked among the top executives, and the San Antonio Spurs were pretty popular across the league.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com called the Spurs “the team of the future and the team of the present.”
Even second-year guard Dylan Harper received major recognition.
Dylan Harper Named Likely Breakout Star
One of the questions asked was which player is the most likely to have a breakout season.
Dylan Harper topped the list, with 27 percent of general managers picking the San Antonio Spurs star.
Harper was followed by Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, Collin Murray-Boyles of the Toronto Raptors, Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets and Cason Wallace of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In 69 games last season, Harper averaged 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 50.5 percent shooting. He was even better in the playoffs, putting up 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 23 games.
Another Spurs guard in Stephon Castle also received votes, highlighting the young core of the franchise.
Harper and Castle are the future of the Spurs backcourt, forming the “Big 3” with Victor Wembanyama.
The only problem for the Spurs is De’Aaron Fox also being on the roster. It’s a good problem to have since Fox is an All-Star guard, though his poor performance in the NBA Finals left a sour taste in Spurs fans’ mouths.
Spurs Use 3-Guard Lineup in Preseason
For the first time this preseason, the San Antonio Spurs used their three-guard lineup featuring De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.
Castle played at small forward, while Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama completed the frontcourt. It looked awkward at first, but the Spurs pulled off a 123-103 win.
Wemby led the way with 19 points, five rebounds, three rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Stephon Castle had 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Fox and Harper scored nine points each.
Carter Bryant added 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson addressed the lineup questions after game.
“I understand the narrative around it,” Johnson said via Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “I always land on the same reasoning at the very end of it. They’re three of our better players. I know the majority of their lives, maybe their highlight tape is typically with the basketball in their hands.”
“I think they can dribble, pass, shoot, defend, make winning plays,” the coach added. “They’re unselfish. They have good size.”
The Spurs have one more preseason game on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. They open the regular season at home on October 20, welcoming the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Frost Bank Center.
Spurs Star Dylan Harper Gets Major Recognition Ahead of 2026-27 Season