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The San Antonio Spurs dynasty is largely built on big men, yes. David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Victor Wembanyama are all astounding leaders who are capable of winning the biggest awards. On the other hand, they also have a great supporting cast that helps them chase 60 wins or more and deep postseason runs. This is where legends like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili come in. Dylan Harper is on that similar trajectory. ESPN even boldly predicts that he will become a frontrunner for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, all while he is expected to emulate a jump like that of James Harden.
Harper forecasted to take a Harden-like leap and win NBA 6MOTY
Dylan Harper was a revelation for the Spurs during their postseason run en route to the NBA Finals. He may have finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, but his invaluable numbers helped Coach Mitch Johnson's squad stay afloat when Victor Wembanyama looked wonky. His postseason numbers saw him average 11.8 points on a 50.5% field goal percentage while racking up 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 0.8 steals.
The 2026-27 NBA season is set to be a big year for Harper. Heading into Year 2 of his career, ESPN projects that he will become a frontrunner for the NBA 6MOTY award.
| 1. Alex Caruso | 34 points |
| 2. Dylan Harper | 23 points |
| 3. Ajay Mitchell | 22 points |
| 4. Reed Sheppard | 20 points |
Harper is projected to be the second-favorite to win NBA 6MOTY. The Spurs young gun is sandwiched between two Oklahoma City Thunder players, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell. Both of whom will have to carry their squad's two-way load off the bench. When looked at with analytical eyes, Harper can edge out his two opponents given the fact that Caruso and Mitchell will have to play a zero-sum game in their production. But the same conundrum can hit the Spurs player because he has to do the same alongside Keldon Johnson, who won the 2025-26 NBA 6MOTY.
"Harper, on the other hand, who averaged 11.8 points and 3.9 assists, appears ready for the next step in NBA stardom. He was one of the few Spurs who didn't seem awed by the stage of the NBA Finals as a rookie. His talent demands a starting role, so the dance could be delicate this season as the Spurs try to balance their lineups, especially if Harper can make a James Harden-like jump as many expect," ESPN declared.
Dylan Harper downhill scoring pic.twitter.com/GvI6rCC0T2
— Pitless (@pitlessball) April 25, 2026What numbers are expected of Harper for his second year in the league? His 2026-27 Per-36-minute projections show huge leaps in production, mirroring the jump Harden made in his early Thunder years.
| PTS | FG% | 3P% | FT% | FGA | AST | TRB | BLK | STL | TOV | WS/48 |
| 19.2 | .518 | .360 | .772 | 15.0 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.2 | .120 |
Compared with Harper's previous rookie numbers, he is projected to post career highs in every statistical category. This is not a joke, too. However, the question most Spurs fans want answered is how much he resembles Harden. How close is Harper to replicating The Beard's peak production when he was vying for the NBA 6MOTY too?
Well, his projected numbers are very close to the version of Harden that won the NBA 6MOTY award during the 2011-12 season. Unfortunately, this was also his last season with the Thunder before he left to become a first option with the Houston Rockets.
| PTS | FG% | 3P% | FT% | FGA | AST | TRB | BLK | STL | TOV |
| 16.8 | .491 | .390 | .846 | 10.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.2 |
The leap is to be expected, and maybe even the NBA 6MOTY win. But the Spurs are already 20 steps ahead of everyone else. They know Harper can pan out like Harden, but they're preventing any departure. That is why Victor Wembanyama took a pay cut worth about $50 million so they can keep the rising star.
This new Spurs dynasty may have new names and faces that come along with them, but they follow the exact same formula that Coach Gregg Popovich laid out from the moment they drafted David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
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