The San Antonio Spurs enter the 2026-27 season as the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy come June. They were three games away from doing it last season and have one of the most talented young cores in the league in Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. While Wembanyama gets much of the attention, Harper made it known that he believes he and Castle are the best guards in the NBA.
"I feel like me and Steph, the biggest thing is, me and him both think we’re the best guards in the NBA," Harper said. "Me and Steph’s relationship kind of in the beginning came from that competitive mindset, and it just grew off the court day by day. Now, we can talk about anything, literally.
So, I mean, it’s a great relationship to have, and I feel like me and him are only growing." More news: LeBron James Sends Clear Message After Sixers Debut Castle took a big step last season, his second with the Spurs. After winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2025, he averaged 16.7 points, 7.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds, up from 14.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds as a rookie, while taking on more minutes and improving his efficiency. He was a big reason San Antonio reached the Finals, averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds across 23 postseason games.
Harper played a smaller role as a rookie but still made the All-Rookie First Team. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game, mostly off the bench behind Castle and De’Aaron Fox. He only got better as the year went on, shooting 48% from three over 26 games after the All-Star break and was the Spurs' second-leading scorer in the Finals.
More news: Kyrie Irving Drops Hint on Mavs Future With Cooper Flagg Comments More news: Pistons Put Jalen Duren in His Place During Contract Talks: Report Both players are under 22 and fit well next to each other. They’re bigger guards (Castle is 6-foot-6 and Harper is 6-foot-5, with both around 215 pounds) who can handle the ball, create for others and attack the rim, which gives the Spurs flexibility in the backcourt. In the playoffs, they joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only teammate duos 21 or younger to each score 25 or more points in the same playoff game.
Both are still ascending, and with their ability to work off Wembanyama, there’s still another level each can reach. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
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