Rutgers Scarlet Knights point guard Dylan Harper has been a force across the entire 2024-25 season, establishing himself among the best freshmen in college basketball. His positional size at 6’6″, crafty scoring ability, and solid passing have him in position to be one of the top players selected in the 2025 NBA Draft.
We’ll break down exactly how high Harper has worked himself up draft boards and what teams may be in a position to draft him.
Where Could Dylan Harper Be Drafted?
While Harper has been tremendous this season, it’s widely expected that Duke Blue Devils’ forward Cooper Flagg will be the first player selected in the 2025 Draft regardless of who ends up with the pick.
That leaves Harper in a tier with his Rutgers teammate, forward Ace Bailey, and Baylor Bears’ forward V.J. Edgecombe.
Edgecombe has come on as of late as a 6’5″ guard with loads of potential but has been inconsistent overall. Bailey is a prolific scorer, but with a slight frame and questionable decision-making, he’s not considered a slam-dunk prospect.
While Harper may possess a lower floor than both of those players, his ceiling is arguably the highest.
Dylan Harper vs Washington..
34 PTS (9-18 FG, 4-8 3PT, 12-14 FTs)
5 REBS
3 AST
2 STLS
1 BLKIn what scenario is he the #1 pick?? pic.twitter.com/xBprSgpvbd
— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) February 20, 2025
ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony has Harper ranked as the No. 2 prospect on his most recent 2025 NBA Draft big board. Likewise, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has Harper ranked No. 2 in his power rankings.
With the college basketball season coming to a close, it’s more and more likely that Harper will be drafted second overall — similar to Flagg, regardless of who ends up picking in that spot due to his sheer talent, ability, and long-term potential.
Potential Landing Spots for Harper
The NBA season ends in just over a month, and the NBA Draft Lottery will take place on May 12. That’s when we’ll get a clearer picture of where Harper may end up, as the top 14 picks will be fully established and stabilized.
Here are three teams that should be in the best position to land Harper at No. 2, along with a best fit.
Washington Wizards
One of the worst teams in the NBA this season, the Wizards have posted only 11 wins as we’re nearly a week into March. The top-three worst finishers will each possess a 13.4% chance of ending up with the No. 2 overall selection — surely Washington will stay in that category, giving them a great chance at landing the pick.
MORE: Top 10 2025 NBA Draft Prospects
The Wizards already drafted an oversized point guard in the 2024 NBA Draft in Pitt’s Bub Carrington, who’s shown promise but has ultimately struggled to adjust to the NBA game. Harper would likely slot right into the starting lineup beside combo guard Jordan Poole and 2024 No. 2 pick forward Alex Sarr.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are the one team that may present a potential problem for the candidacy of Harper being the second pick with LaMelo Ball establishing himself as the point guard for the present and future of the franchise.
In the 2023 NBA Draft, the Hornets opted to draft 6’7″ wing Brandon Miller instead of point guard Scoot Henderson, who was widely considered to be the second-best prospect.
But a team like Charlotte, which currently has only 14 wins to their name, may go with the “best player available” approach that many struggling teams take.
Harper would fit well into head coach Charles Lee’s up-tempo play stye and could learn from Ball with the future goal of slotting right next to him in the backcourt — not too dissimilar to the Detroit Pistons approach with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, both college point guards.
Utah Jazz
Utah is also in that bottom three with only 15 wins this season. They’ve stockpiled young talent in recent years along with having an established All-Star in Lauri Markkanen still on the roster. One has to wonder how much longer they’ll continue their tanking ways — if they’re able to select Harper, the hope would surely be that this would be the final year.
Second-year guard Keyonte George and rookie Isaiah Collier have handled the ball-handling duties for the Jazz this season with extremely mixed and inconsistent results. Between them, they average 5.6 turnovers per game. Harper would help shore up that position and hopefully be the lead guard for the next decade in Salt Lake City.
Best Fit: New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans embody a team that’s in the midst of a gap year due to a rash of injuries they’ve had to endure — much like the Golden State Warriors’ 2019-20 campaign in which they landed the No. 2 pick.
Injuries aside, New Orleans already has established stars in Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray alongside budding star Trey Murphy III. Guard C.J. McCollum still has the ability to average 20-plus points, while Herb Jones is a lockdown defender on the perimeter.
READ MORE: Dylan Harper Scouting Report
Harper would seemingly slot right in at point guard, bumping the veteran McCollum to the bench and Murray off the ball. The expectation of winning right away may be hard for a rookie point guard — who historically have gone through the most growing pains of any position — but Harper’s talent and calm demeanor suggest he may be ready for the pressure.
It would be an intriguing sentiment with a one-and-done prospect inserting right into a playoff-contending team. It didn’t work out with the Warriors, as oft-injured Memphis Tigers’ center James Wiseman never panned out. But with a full college season under his belt, Harper should fare better in the league with a team full of established veterans that he can learn and grow from.
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