Dylan Harper credits Gregg Popovich before NBA draft

Inside Toyota Center in Houston, NBA draft talk already carries extra heat this time of year, and Dylan Harper just added another layer to it. The New Jersey guard told the New York Post that a message from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich helped sharpen his belief that reaching the NBA Finals was an achievable goal, a striking detail as lottery prospects move closer to draft night.

Harper’s comments matter in Houston because the Rockets sit in the middle of a loaded Western Conference, where San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Dallas keep reshaping the road to contention. Any rising young guard tied to Popovich and the Spurs instantly lands on the radar in Texas, especially when front offices are mapping out the next few years as much as the next season.

Harper, one of the top names in this draft cycle, said Popovich’s words stayed with him as he chased the next step in his career. The heart of the story is simple. A Hall of Fame coach reached a young player at the right time, and that push helped frame Harper’s belief that the biggest stage in basketball was within reach.

Dylan Harper places Gregg Popovich in his NBA path

That detail stands out because Popovich rarely gets attached to a prospect’s personal story unless there is a real connection. Harper is a New Jersey native with deep basketball roots, and his rise has followed the path expected of an elite guard: major attention, high-level production and constant projection toward the top of the draft board.

The New York Post report centered on Harper’s recollection of that encouragement and the way it fueled his Finals dream. There was no need for overstatement. The message mattered because it came from one of the most respected voices in the league, a coach whose work in San Antonio has shaped generations of guards and wings.

Why the Harper story lands in Houston draft season

For the Rockets, this is the kind of draft-season storyline that resonates even without a direct team link. Houston has built around youth, then accelerated with veteran structure, and the franchise now measures prospects through a tougher lens than it did two years ago. Talent still matters first, but mindset, fit and long-term ceiling carry more weight when a team expects to compete.

Harper’s quote also lands at a time when Texas basketball runs through several rival pipelines. San Antonio’s rebuild has drawn heavy attention, and any prospect connected to Popovich will spark interest across the state. In Houston, that means one more reason to track how the top of the draft unfolds and which backcourts in the West may get stronger in a hurry.

The next concrete date is the NBA draft, when Harper’s name is expected to come off the board early and the Spurs remain one of the teams tied to the top of the class. Houston’s front office will be reading the board closely, because every high-end guard added in the West changes the playoff math by a little more.

This article is a summary of reporting by New York Post. Read the full story here.