There have been three second-round pick trades already, and two of them set up the Suns with the No. 31 pick. First, Brooklyn traded the No. 36 pick to Phoenix for two future second-round picks, a story reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Then the Suns traded the No. 36 pick and two future second-round picks to Minnesota for the No. 31 pick, also reported by Charania, who added the Suns are targeting Flemming.
The Suns' war room right now is eyeing St. Joseph's big man Rasheer Fleming at No. 31, finalizing their research and scouting before making their selection at 8 pm ET on ESPN. https://t.co/LCaxxAvN5i
Flemming is a 21-year-old, 6'8" wing who averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks a game for St. Joseph's last season.
There was one more second-round pre-draft trade, where the Suns sent the No. 52 and No. 59 picks in the 2025 draft to the Golden State Warriors for No. 41, a deal also reported by Charania.
The Sixers reportedly agreed to sign Hunter Sallis to a two-way contract minutes after the conclusion of the NBA draft on Thursday night.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Sallis is set to join the team on a two-way deal.
Sallis, 22, averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals last season at Wake Forest. He was a heavy-minute, high usage player for the Demon Decons after two years at Gonzaga, playing nearly 36 minutes per game.
Sallis measured at 6-foot-3.75 inches without shoes and 181 pounds at the NBA draft combine. His wingspan is 6-10.
As an outside shooter, Sallis had one excellent year in college — 40.5 percent from three-point range as a junior — and three seasons below 30 percent. He made 78.7 percent of his college free throws and is quite comfortable in the mid-range.
Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote that Sallis is “absolutely worth a two-way contract to see what he can become, as he’s very silky and smooth with the ball in his hands and has a nasty midrange game that could continue to develop over the coming years. But he probably needs to put at least 15 pounds on his frame in the next few years to have success on both ends.”
The Sixers reportedly agreed to sign Hunter Sallis to a two-way contract minutes after the conclusion of the NBA draft on Thursday night.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Sallis is set to join the team on a two-way deal.
Sallis, 22, averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals last season at Wake Forest. He was a heavy-minute, high usage player for the Demon Decons after two years at Gonzaga, playing nearly 36 minutes per game.
Sallis measured at 6-foot-3.75 inches without shoes and 181 pounds at the NBA draft combine. His wingspan is 6-10.
As an outside shooter, Sallis had one excellent year in college — 40.5 percent from three-point range as a junior — and three seasons below 30 percent. He made 78.7 percent of his college free throws and is quite comfortable in the mid-range.
Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote that Sallis is “absolutely worth a two-way contract to see what he can become, as he’s very silky and smooth with the ball in his hands and has a nasty midrange game that could continue to develop over the coming years. But he probably needs to put at least 15 pounds on his frame in the next few years to have success on both ends.”
The Sixers also reportedly came to agreements with several other undrafted rookies late Thursday night.
PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson reported that the team will sign Izan Almansa to an Exhibit 10 contract, which is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal that can be converted into a two-way contract before the start of the regular season. Players on Exhibit 10 contracts can receive a bonus if they begin the season with an organization’s G League affiliate and stay there for at least 60 days.
Almansa is a 20-year-old Spanish frontcourt player who averaged 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League last season.
DraftExpress’ Jon Chepkevich reported that Igor Milicic Jr. has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sixers. Milicic, who was listed at 6-10, 225 pounds by Tennessee, posted 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game as a Vol in his senior year of college.
Chepkevich reported that Saint Thomas will join the Sixers at summer league.
USC’s Saint Thomas will join the Philadelphia 76ers for NBA Summer League, I’m told.
The 6’7 ½" Swiss Army knife forward played a connective role for the Trojans this season after transferring up from Northern Colorado, where he averaged 19.7 PTS, 9.8 REB, and 4.2 AST. pic.twitter.com/yHgTvwrawt
The 2025 NBA Draft is still going on for those who didn’t hear their names called.
Fifty-nine players were selected in the two-night draft, with Jahmai Mashack being the last pick going to Memphis. The New York Knicks had a second-rounder docked for tampering violations in 2022 when signing Jalen Brunson,
Ryan Nembhard, Caleb Love and Hunter Dickinson were among the notable undrafted rookies who now have a new home.
Here’s what to know as players sign different deals, such as two-way contracts or Exhibit 10 deals and more:
2025 NBA Draft undrafted rookies tracker
Nembhard, Dickinson and Love are all headed to the Western Conference. Here’s a running list:
Whether or not they were told that — and despite not working him out — the Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick Wednesday night. It was not a reach by the Jazz — Bailey has arguably the second highest ceiling of any player in this year's draft and Utah needs high-level talent — but the sense in league circles heading into the draft was that Bailey and his representative, Omar Cooper, had a promise and/or were trying to steer the Rutgers star to Washington or Brooklyn. Cooper denied that in the same ESPN report.
"Every NBA team watched him work out in Chicago," Cooper told ESPN. "He did 18 interviews. Everyone got his medical. They watched him run and jump. They got his measurements... There is nothing uncommon about how Ace Bailey's pre-draft process was handled."
Bailey, for his part, echoed the same idea at the draft, stating that he was not worried about where he was selected or what people thought about his unusual pre-draft strategy of avoiding workouts.
"They feel how they feel," Bailey said. "But my team and me, are focusing on basketball and them doing what they're doing, so it happens."
If the report is true, Bailey's options were always limited if a team called his bluff. He can choose not to report to the Jazz (or whoever drafted him), but he cannot return to college after staying in the draft. Additionally, if he plays professionally overseas next season, the Jazz retain his draft rights. The only way to end up with another team is to sit out an entire year, not playing professionally anywhere, then re-enter the draft. However, that is a crap shoot because who knows what the draft order will be a year from now and what team's priorities will be.
Bailey, a 6'8" wing, was projected as a top-three pick for much of the year. Bailey looks like a prototypical NBA wing on paper: Great positional size, a high-level athlete, high motor, shot 36.7% from 3 in college, can create his own shot, and is a tough shot maker who averaged 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. However, not all scouts were convinced he would come close to reaching that potential in the NBA. Those concerns, plus his pre-draft strategy of no workouts and some interviews that left teams confused, saw him slide a couple of spots to No. 5, where the Jazz snapped him up before Washington or Brooklyn had the chance.
Bailey is likely to make his Jazz debut at the Utah Summer League, which starts on July 5 in Salt Lake City.
After trading down from No. 32 overall, the Boston Celtics used the No. 57 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select VCU guard Max Shulga.
Shulga played the last two seasons with the Rams after spending his first three collegiate seasons at Utah State. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point range last season.
Shulga’s 3-point prowess fits the Celtics mold, but he’s also a smart, decisive passer. The 23-year-old guard’s balanced skill set helped him earn First-Team All-Atlantic 10 nods twice at VCU.
Shulga will reunite with one of his former college teammates when he joins the Celtics. He and Boston big man Neemias Queta played together for one season at Utah State.
Williams and Shulga are expected to join the Celtics on two-way contracts.
The Sacramento Kings picked arguably one of the more intriguing center prospects in the draft at No. 42. Raynaud is a 22-year-old 7-foot-1 French center who has close ties to Victor Wembanyama off the hardwood. In some ways, their games are similar. Raynaud is a strong rebounder on both ends of the court, while having the prized trait of shooting at his size. The Stanford product hit 34.7% of his 3s this past season on 5.5 attempts. That gives a rebuilding Sacramento something key to work with as he looks to get good minutes behind Domantas Sabonis.
Chaz Lanier, G/F, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are coming off a promising season of their own, making the playoffs after a disastrous run under Monty Williams. They added to their young core with 6-foot-4 guard Chaz Lanier at No. 37. The one-season Tennessee Volunteer played four seasons at North Florida before making the switch, averaging 18 points per game. His biggest trait is the mix of his 3-point volume and percentage. Lanier, 23, shot 39.5% from deep on 8.2 attempts, which could help him with minutes early as a catch-and-shoot option for Cade Cunningham.
Tyrese Proctor, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland finished as the No. 1 seed out East and finally built an identity in the post-LeBron James era(s). But the Cavs disappointingly fell short in the playoffs in the second round, still needing some areas of growth. They added to their wing department at No. 49, nabbing Duke’s Tyrese Proctor. Proctor, 6-foot-5, can play on and off the ball and averaged 12.4 points on a stacked Blue Devils team that had three top-10 picks this draft. Proctor, 21, had a solid shooting split of 45/40/68. The free-throw percentage is likely a one off given he went 87% as a freshman and 75.5% as a sophomore, though the downward trend is something to watch.
Rasheer Fleming, F, Phoenix Suns
The Suns were aggressive in the second round and moved up to pick first. With Kevin Durant gone, Phoenix took 6-foot-9 forward Rasheer Fleming out of Saint Joseph’s. The soon-to-be 21-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists on a 53/39/74 shooting split. Of course, he’s nowhere near Durant’s level and longevity, but with the Suns desperately needing more young talent at cheaper costs, there’s no wonder they went all out for someone like Fleming. He should get key minutes from the get go.
Kam Jones, G, Indiana Pacers
The reigning Eastern Conference champs added to their wing core at No. 38, taking Marquette wing Kam Jones. The 23-year-old played all four seasons with the program, most recently averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists. 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, all college bests. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 48% from the floor, 31% from deep and 64.8% from the charity stripe. He did shoot 39% from deep as a freshman and 40.6% as a junior both on strong volume, but his free-throw percentages have typically been in the 60s. Still, with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss significant time with his torn Achilles, Jones could get his moments to show what he can bring to a hopeful contender.
The Sacramento Kings picked arguably one of the more intriguing center prospects in the draft at No. 42. Raynaud is a 22-year-old 7-foot-1 French center who has close ties to Victor Wembanyama off the hardwood. In some ways, their games are similar. Raynaud is a strong rebounder on both ends of the court, while having the prized trait of shooting at his size. The Stanford product hit 34.7% of his 3s this past season on 5.5 attempts. That gives a rebuilding Sacramento something key to work with as he looks to get good minutes behind Domantas Sabonis.
Chaz Lanier, G/F, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are coming off a promising season of their own, making the playoffs after a disastrous run under Monty Williams. They added to their young core with 6-foot-4 guard Chaz Lanier at No. 37. The one-season Tennessee Volunteer played four seasons at North Florida before making the switch, averaging 18 points per game. His biggest trait is the mix of his 3-point volume and percentage. Lanier, 23, shot 39.5% from deep on 8.2 attempts, which could help him with minutes early as a catch-and-shoot option for Cade Cunningham.
Tyrese Proctor, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland finished as the No. 1 seed out East and finally built an identity in the post-LeBron James era(s). But the Cavs disappointingly fell short in the playoffs in the second round, still needing some areas of growth. They added to their wing department at No. 49, nabbing Duke’s Tyrese Proctor. Proctor, 6-foot-5, can play on and off the ball and averaged 12.4 points on a stacked Blue Devils team that had three top-10 picks this draft. Proctor, 21, had a solid shooting split of 45/40/68. The free-throw percentage is likely a one off given he went 87% as a freshman and 75.5% as a sophomore, though the downward trend is something to watch.
Rasheer Fleming, F, Phoenix Suns
The Suns were aggressive in the second round and moved up to pick first. With Kevin Durant gone, Phoenix took 6-foot-9 forward Rasheer Fleming out of Saint Joseph’s. The soon-to-be 21-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists on a 53/39/74 shooting split. Of course, he’s nowhere near Durant’s level and longevity, but with the Suns desperately needing more young talent at cheaper costs, there’s no wonder they went all out for someone like Fleming. He should get key minutes from the get go.
Kam Jones, G, Indiana Pacers
The reigning Eastern Conference champs added to their wing core at No. 38, taking Marquette wing Kam Jones. The 23-year-old played all four seasons with the program, most recently averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists. 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, all college bests. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 48% from the floor, 31% from deep and 64.8% from the charity stripe. He did shoot 39% from deep as a freshman and 40.6% as a junior both on strong volume, but his free-throw percentages have typically been in the 60s. Still, with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss significant time with his torn Achilles, Jones could get his moments to show what he can bring to a hopeful contender.
Williams played at Kentucky last season after spending four years with Drexel. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Wildcats in 2024-25, in addition to shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.
Williams is an excellent passer, he’s a very good rebounder and he defends the rim at a high level (a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year at Drexel). He also runs the floor well for someone his size, and he has a 7-foot-6 wingspan.
Williams becomes just the third active NBA player who was born in England, joining the New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby and the Brooklyn Nets’ Tosan Evbuomwan.
The Celtics entered the second round with the No. 32 pick, but they traded it to the Orlando Magic for the No. 46 and No. 57 picks, in addition to second-rounders in 2026 and 2027, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The C’s also selected Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez from Real Madrid with the No. 28 pick in the first round Wednesday.
The Warriors’ relative restraint during the 2025 NBA Draft that ended Thursday night provided sufficient evidence that they, as Golden State’s general manager indicated earlier this week, are saving their energy for the free-agent market, which opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday.
As much as the Warriors love their player-development staff, they’re prioritizing next season above those that will follow. It’s a logical approach for a team whose best players – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler – are well into their mid-30s.
Dunleavy earlier this week: “We’ve got three players in their 30s that are really good, and that’s the hand we’re playing. It’s certainly admirable what the [Indiana] Pacers and the [Oklahoma City] Thunder and some of these other teams have done in the league, but we have our group. We’re committed to that, and we’ve got to build with it and around it, and that’s kind of what we’ll do.”
Dunleavy on Thursday night: “We add these (draft picks) into the roster however we do it. But I think we’ll be looking to shift of roster the most in free agency, more so than the draft.”
Both Toohey and Richard will compete for roster spots, Dunleavy said, while acknowledging they likely will spend time in the G League.
“These guys are good players; they have a chance,” Dunleavy said. “And we’ll put them in the development program, and it could be some time in Santa Cruz, it could be some NBA minutes. We’ll see how it unfolds.
Alex Toohey
Toohey, who turned 21 last month, spent the past two seasons with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League. In 30 games last season, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals 22.9 minutes per game. He committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga in 2023 before opting for the NBL.
At 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, he’s a tweener forward. Too slow to be a prototype small forward, too small to be a prototype power forward. The Warriors are at their best when coach Steve Kerr can lean into a roster with players that have great spatial/movement awareness – a “feel for the game” – and Toohey, by all accounts, has that.
Toohey scored 87 on the NBADraft.net scale and was No. 55 on its big board of draft-eligible players.
Dunleavy on Toohey: “I think he’s like a 4. And I think with our system and the way we play, he has the versatility to play multiple positions. It’s who can you guard and where you can play offensively. And we think especially on the defensive end, he’s super versatile and creates a lot of plays.”
Will Richard
After starting at Belmont as a freshman, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard transferred to the powerhouse Florida program and, as a sophomore, became an immediate starter for the Gators. He played 141 college games, with 135 starts, over four seasons.
Though backcourt teammate Walter Clayton Jr. garnered most of the attention in Florida’s triumphant run to the 2025 national championship, Richard acquitted himself quite well — especially in the title game. He scored 18 points, on 4-of-4 shooting from deep, as the Gators came back to defeat the Houston Cougars.
Richard’s profile was not listed on the NBADraft.net site, but the NBA.com site compares his attributes to those of Malik Beasley and Alex Caruso.
Dunleavy on Richard: “We see him as a two-way player, shoot it and defend it. He’s a pretty good on-ball defender, very good off-ball defender, and he’s got good length. And he’s coming from a really good program and system where (he was) well-coached, well-taught through many years in college. This is a guy that knows how to play.”
After a thrilling 2025 NBA Finals came to an anticlimactic end upon Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles in Game 7, Warriors forward Draymond Green noticed a parallel to one of Golden State’s own playoff runs.
During an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year drew a comparison between Haliburton’s injury and Kevin Durant’s torn Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
“I do send my love and well wishes to Tyrese though just on a speedy recovery, leaving it all out there on the floor, you know,” Green told co-host Baron Davis. “These Achilles/calf injuries are tough, I put it on my Threads account as soon as it happened, “Man, that looks too familiar.” NBA Finals, elimination game, guy get to cooking, cooking. KD got to cooking, and so I just wish him well and a speedy recovery.”
As Warriors fans remember, Durant took the court in Toronto with Golden State facing a 3-1 deficit despite nursing a calf strain that had held the former NBA MVP out since Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.
Durant famously started out Game 5 against the Raptors on fire, dropping 11 first quarter points, including a perfect 3 for 3 from beyond the arc, before hitting the floor early in the second quarter with a torn Achilles, a bitter end to an otherwise glorious chapter in a Warriors uniform.
One year ago, Kevin Durant made his heroic return in Game 5 of the NBA Finals before tearing his Achilles.
Haliburton, like Durant, started Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on fire, draining three shots from beyond the 3-point line before succumbing to the same ill-fated injury as Durant.
With a recovery timeline that typically lasts well over a year, it calls to reason what the Pacers’ ceiling will be during the 2025-26 NBA season as Indiana’s star rehabs. If you ask Green, it’s a tough ask to expect a team even as talented as the Pacers to make another deep playoff run next season without Haliburton.
“It’s tough, man. We obviously had Klay [Thompson] go down, KD went down, but he left,” Green explained. “Same year Steph went down, it’s tough — You’re not winning without your best player in this league.You can put together a decent season, but it ain’t happening.”
Maxime Raynaud hasn’t stepped on the court yet for the Kings, but the No. 42 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft comes to Sacramento with an impressive résumé.
The 7-foot center, whom the Kings drafted in the second round Thursday night, was a star at Stanford, earning First-Team All-ACC honors as a senior after averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals while making 67 3-pointers during the university’s inaugural ACC season.
That statline places Raynaud in rarified air, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, as one of three power conference players to average 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and make 50-plus 3-pointers in a season since 2002-03. The other two? Fifteen-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductee Carmelo Anthony.
Players in power conferences to average 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and make 50+ 3 pointers in a season since 2002-03: Maxime Raynaud 2024-25 Kevin Durant 2006-07 Carmelo Anthony 2002-03
Durant and Anthony turned their one-and-done collegiate success into prolific NBA careers, though both were drafted much higher than Raynaud — Anthony at No. 3 overall in 2003 and Durant at No. 2 overall in 2007.
Still, Raynaud showed flashes of potential as a big man who can shoot across his four seasons at Stanford, posting excellent shooting splits for his size (47/35/77) on 16.1 field-goal attempts, 5.5 3-point tries and 4.2 free throws per game in his final year.
If Sacramento’s newest center can keep it up on the glass and with his shot for the Kings as he transitions to the pros, he could turn into a formidable talent for coach Doug Christie. He’ll have one of the best rebounders in the league to learn from in star Kings center Domantas Sabonis — but only time will tell if Raynaud will end up on any more lists with Durant and Anthony in the pros.
Stealing Danny Ainge’s “Trader” nickname for his constant activity of making moves, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy remained a busy man Thursday during the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
After averaging 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a freshman at Belmont, Richard became coach Todd Graham’s first recruit at Florida and the move paid off in the ultimate prize this past season. Richard put on a show in the championship game for Florida, scoring 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting and going 4 of 7 beyond the arc. He also added eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot to take down Houston.
The Warriors traded up from No. 59 to No. 56 to draft Will Richard, who had a huge game in the national championship for Florida
Along with the 75.6 true shooting percentage Richard had in the national championship, he became the first player ever to record those numbers in the title game.
Richard is a 6-foot-5 guard who will turn 23 years old in December. Over his four-year college career, he averaged 11.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game with 46.3/35.5/82.5 shooting splits. He’s known to play incredibly hard and won’t back down from a challenge thrown his way. As a senior, Richard had 22 games of two or more steals.
The Warriors liked him enough to move up three slots in the draft, fearing another team was about to take him. He was Mr. Reliable at Florida, and Golden State can only hope that translates to the next level.
It’s impossible to guess what one of the last picks in the draft is going to produce for a team, if at all. However, Trayce Jackson-Davis (No. 57) and Quinten Post (No. 52) both exceeded expectations as rookies. The Warriors have found great success recently through their developmental program in the G League, possibly having their best campaign yet last season.
Will Toohey and Richard join the trend? NBA Summer League is right around the corner for them to prove why they could turn into steals for Golden State.
The Boston Celtics traded the No. 32 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, and they got a huge haul for it.
The C’s acquired the No. 46 and No. 57 overall picks in the second round, plus second-rounders in 2026 and 2027, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Charania also reported the Celtics were going to take Saint Joseph’s wing Rasheer Fleming with the No. 32 pick, but the Phoenix Suns acquired the No. 31 pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier Thursday and took Fleming just before the C’s.
With Fleming off the board, the Celtics decided to trade the pick.
Reporting for night two of the NBA draft on the team that planned to select Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming before the Phoenix Suns jumped to acquire No. 31: pic.twitter.com/MPlDu6bzb4
The Celtics need depth in the frontcourt with veteran centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet able to become unrestricted free agents next week. By trading the No. 32 pick, the C’s passed on a chance to draft centers such as Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud, Auburn’s Johni Broome, among others.
Dylan Harper hugs supporters after being selected second overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA draft. (Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
Second-generation NBA players are plentiful, and why not?
Dads can pass down their height, dedication and athleticism. Dad's handsome compensation can afford a son the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. And Dad's drive can serve as a road map.
Dylan Harper, the second pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, is the latest budding star whose father was decorated before him. Ron Harper capped a 15-year NBA career by winning five NBA championships in his last six seasons, back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001 after three with the Chicago Bulls in 1996, '97 and '98.
Ron Harper of the Lakers drives for a layup at Staples Center. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)
Dylan, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Rutgers, was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. His brother, Ron Harper Jr., also is in the NBA, having played in 11 games for the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors the last three years.
In any other sport, the progeny of a former star player ascending to the highest level would be especially noteworthy. That Ron Harper's sons are on the cusp of similar careers as their dad was nothing out of the ordinary.
LeBron James and his oldest son, Bronny, famously became the first father-son duo to take the court at the same time in the Lakers' season opener last October. But that is just one of the many dynamics of a son choosing the same career path to the NBA as his dad.
Lakers forward LeBron James greets his son and teammate Bronny James, right, during warm-ups. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)
The phenomenon goes back a long way. Two sons of Minneapolis Lakers legend George Mikan — a five-time All-NBA center in the early 1950s — were drafted into the NBA, with one, Larry, playing 53 games in 1970-71.
During a 15-year career that ended in 1964, Hall of Fame center Dolph Shayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game. His son, Danny Shayes, outdid Dad in career longevity, playing 18 years through 1999 for seven teams, including a short stint with the Lakers.
Butch Van Breda Kolff played four seasons in the 1940s and in 1976 his son, Jan, became the first player to face a team coached by his father when Jan played for the New York Nets while Butch coached the New Orleans Jazz. Butch also coached the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1968 and '69, where they lost to the Boston Celtics both times.
Other sons who faced teams coached by their fathers — who also played in the NBA — include Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Sr., Coby and George Karl, and Austin and Doc Rivers.
Austin Rivers also became the first to play for his father in an NBA game when he was traded to the Clippers in 2015. At first, he wasn't thrilled when his dad called to alert him of the proposed deal.
“He called me up and he asked me if ‘this was something you might be interested in because we need you,’ ” Austin said at his introductory news conference. “When I heard that, it was one of those things where I just kind of had to think, take a day to myself and be like, ‘Could this work?’
"And it does, just because of the relationship I have with him. It’s already kind of basketball oriented … It’s not so much like father-son. It’s just kind of like coach-player and then off the court, we deal with that a different way.”
Sons who achieved more than their father abound. Dell Curry was no slouch, averaging 11.7 points and earning $19.8 million over a 16-year NBA career that ended in 2002. One son, Seth, is in his 11th season, having averaged 10 points while earning $45 million.
Toronto Raptors' Dell Curry lands on top of Trail Blazers' Damon Stoudamire as he drives to the hoop during their NBA game Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2000, in Portland, Ore.
JACK SMITH/ASSOCIATED PRESSGolden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry drives past Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston.
David J. Phillip / Associated Press
Dell's other son, Stephen, is a certain Hall of Famer, recognized as perhaps the best pure shooter in history. He's led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA titles while averaging 24.4 points and earning $357.8 million over 16 seasons.
Klay Thompson was a teammate of Steph Curry on all four Warriors championship teams, and he's averaged 19.1 points while earning $268.8 million over 12 seasons. That easily eclipses the exploits of his loquacious father, Mychal Thompson, who won two titles with the Lakers before becoming a broadcaster with the team as well as a radio personality.
The list of father-son duos is too long to mention them all. Here are a handful.
Three sons of Hall of Fame guard Rick Barry played in the NBA, with Brent enjoying the most success. UCLA product Mike Bibby outdid his dad by playing 14 years to Henry's nine. Kevin Love outplayed his father, but Stan Love's association with the Beach Boys stood out.
The father-son combos include a host of juniors in addition to the Harpers and Dunleavys, among them the Larry Drews, the Patrick Ewings, the Rich Dumases, the Matt Guokases, the Tim Hardaways, the Gerald Hendersons, the Jaren Jacksons, the John Lucases, the Wes Matthewses, the Larry Nances, the Gary Paytons, the James Paxsons, the Scottie Pippins, Glen Rice, Glenn Robinson, the Wally Szczerbiaks, the Gary Trents and the Duane Washingtons.
And, of course, there are more Lakers ties.
Luke Walton matched his father with two NBA championships and also coached the Lakers, but couldn't attain the cult status of Bill Walton, a UCLA legend whose quirky, outsized personality transcended his achievements on the court.
The former Laker who did indeed transcend not only his father's career but that of nearly every player was Kobe Bryant. His father, Joe (Jellybean) Bryant, died last July, four years after his son tragically died in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
The fractious relationship between Kobe and his father is well-chronicled, and they rarely spoke after Kobe married his wife, Vanessa.
Dylan Harper's relationship with his father is stronger, although Ron Harper divorced Dylan's mother in 2012. She raised her two sons and a daughter as a single mom who also happened to coach high school basketball and run a travel program.
"I'm feeling EVERYTHING... from crying, to laughing, to being happy"
Maria Harper, a former Division I player at the University of New Orleans, was an assistant boys' coach when her sons played at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey.
“She was hard but loving,” Dylan told the Athletic in 2023. “She wasn’t just tough on me, either. Everyone got a little bit of it.”
Ron Sr. moved near his ex-wife in 2007. Yet he pointed recruiters to Maria when Dylan was being wooed by colleges.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of him, but I don’t want this to be about me,” he said at the time.
Yet like any father, Ron Sr. was proud of his son's accomplishments.
“When Dylan was 5 years old, I told people he was going to be really good,” he said. “He reminded me of me."
Dylan Harper might exceed his father's accomplishments in the way that Bryant and Curry did — or fail to do so. In addition to winning five titles, Ron Harper averaged 13.8 points and 3.9 assists in 1,009 NBA games.
Either way, Dylan is about to join a lengthy list of players whose fathers blazed a trail they followed.
