The San Antonio Spurs will take the court on Tuesday night to open the 2026-27 NBA season against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The marquee matchup will feature a heavy dose of Dylan Harper.
Harper was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Rutgers, and he was good during the regular season and great in the playoffs as a rookie.
That sets up a big year two for Harper, which will include an immediate change for him.
Spurs Make Dylan Harper Starting Lineup Decision
Harper played 69 games as a rookie in the regular season and got just four starts.
It’s expected that he’ll start a lot more often in his second season.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson told the media late in the preseason that he’s planning on going with a three-guard starting lineup in which Harper will start alongside De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
When you’ve got Victor Wembanyama protecting the rim on the back end, it’s not the end of the world to be a little undersized defensively on the perimeter.
Harper is a sturdy 6-foot-5 with great instincts, so he can play a bit bigger than he is, too.
Spurs Rotation
The Spurs will be at a bit less than full strength in the season opener against the Thunder: Tobias Harris is out.
Without Harris, the Spurs may be even a little bit smaller than they will be once they’re fully healthy.
Fox, Castle and Harper will work on the perimeter. Their rotation on the outside will also include the likes of Devin Vassell and Carter Bryant.
The power forward spot for San Antonio likely won’t feature a ton of size. The Spurs have Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson likely to see most of the time there. They do also have the veteran Harrison Barnes again.
Then there’s the center spot, where Wemby will be doing his thing. They’ve got Luke Kornet back as his backup.
The Spurs do also have the rookie Tarris Reed Jr. out of UConn who could factor in one way or another, potentially at the 4 or maybe at the 5, although his minutes likely won’t be big in the early going at all.
Spurs Schedule
The Spurs will tip off at home at 8:30 p.m. local time in San Antonio on Tuesday night. That’s 9:30 p.m. for anyone watching in the Eastern time zone.
It’s a matchup of the two powerhouses in the Western Conference, and it’s a chance to set an early tone.
And for San Antonio, the Spurs will try to do it with a heavy dose of guards, including Harper.
Spurs’ Dylan Harper Starting Lineup Decision Made Before Opening Night