San Antonio, TX — Spurs guard Dylan Harper says personal milestones are not on his agenda as he approaches his sophomore NBA season. Speaking with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, the 2025 No. 2 overall pick emphasized daily improvement and a collective push to return to the NBA Finals after San Antonio’s five-game loss to New York in 2026.
“For me, it’s really just getting better every day, learning from the people around me, and not repeating mistakes,” Harper told Siddiqi. He added that the only objective on the roster’s mind is the championship the Spurs felt slipped away last year.
Harper came off the bench as a rookie and said he would accept the same role in 2026-27. “There are only about 450 players in the league,” he noted. “I get a chance to play with the best of the best, so those logistics won’t affect how I approach each day.”
Rockets’ winners and losers
William Guillory of The Athletic assessed Houston’s offseason moves and identified center Alperen Şengün as a major beneficiary. Veteran guards Fred VanVleet and free-agent addition Marcus Smart are expected to share ball-handling duties, while the return of Steven Adams from ankle surgery should lighten Şengün’s front-court load.
Guillory labeled VanVleet a loser in the short term due to uncertainty about his place in the franchise’s long-range plans. The 30-year-old picked up a $25 million player option for 2026-27 and will enter free agency next summer. Rookie guard Reed Sheppard also landed on the loser list, with his minutes likely to shrink behind VanVleet and Smart.
Caldwell-Pope, Grizzlies finalize buyout
Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that the Grizzlies and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope mutually agreed to a buyout. The 33-year-old swingman, focused on chasing championships, is expected to find a better title window in Philadelphia. Memphis benefits by reducing a roster logjam at shooting guard and small forward, where minutes were already scarce.
No additional Mavericks news was reported after Thursday’s earlier update.
Source: Hoops Rumors
