During draft season, current player comparisons are brought up a lot when breaking down NBA draft prospects. As a new batch of rookies gets ready to enter the league, one lottery-level talent has been compared to a former Philadelphia 76ers star.
Following what many dubbed a lackluster 2024 class, the incoming pool of prospects is believed to have multiple star-level talents in it. Among those who will likely be coming off the board early is Rutgers guard Dylan Harper.
Harper is a second-generation talent, as his father (Ron Harper) won five NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers. He was one of the top guards in college basketball this season, averaging 19.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 4.0 APG.
Earlier this week, Harper officially announced that he’ll be entering his name in the NBA Draft. Upon this news, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony posted a brief breakdown of the highly-touted guard on X. While doing so, he said Harper’s game has been compared to James Harden early in his career.
At 6-foot-6, Dylan Harper has excellent size for a point guard, with a combination of shot-creation prowess, passing creativity, finishing skill and overall scoring instincts that have drawn comparisons in NBA circles to a young James Harden. https://t.co/H1XZO6C7ds pic.twitter.com/PxjmE1nKp9
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 31, 2025
Even though Rutgers fell short of expectations this year, Harper is still projected to be a top-five pick in the draft. Depending on how things work out for them in the lottery, the Sixers could be in a position to select him.
After entering the year with championship aspirations, things have gone completely off the rails for the Sixers. Injuries left the roster depleted for the majority of the season, resulting in them drastically falling in the standings.
Now, with the fifth-worst record in the league, the Sixers find themselves in a good position to land a top pick. Landing in the top six is crucial for them, as anything lower means they’ll have to hand their selection over to the OKC Thunder.
