Truth be told, Dylan Harper was a special prospect, and the Grizzlies would be extremely lucky to have another rookie with his level of composure. However, the Grizzlies can still learn from the Spurs' selection of Dylan Harper as they continue to rebuild.
Dylan Harper was the second overall pick in a strong 2025 NBA Draft class that also includes Cedric Coward. While the Spurs did benefit from additional lottery luck before the 3-2-1 lottery system goes into effect next season, the selection of Harper still serves as a good example for the Grizzlies as they approach future drafts.
The Grizzlies should be looking to upgrade at every position
The Spurs already had De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle on the roster, so understandably, there was some pushback on the idea of adding another guard. Victor Wembanyama is already making a strong claim to be the best player in the world; however, the Spurs drafting Harper to strengthen an already strong position proved to be a huge difference-maker in the team making the NBA Finals.
Regardless of how the season ends, the Spurs have a promising core going forward with Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper. Had the Spurs targeted another position rather than getting Harper, who was the best player available, the season could've had a much different outcome. While other factors matter when building a winner, sometimes it's truly as simple as accumulating as much high-end talent as possible.
Two things can be true. First, an immediate way for the Grizzlies to boost their floor is to significantly improve their frontcourt around Zach Edey. Second, while the Grizzlies have to address Ja Morant's future and an overall logjam of guards, they should not be discouraged by the idea of adding another guard.
The Grizzlies can never have too many ball-handlers
The Western Conference Finals should absolutely reinforce the point that having plenty of quality ball-handlers matters significantly during the playoffs. When looking at both teams, the Thunder took a significant hit to their halfcourt offense with the injuries to Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, despite having a strong Game 7, was much easier to defend throughout the series due to their absence.
For the Spurs, having De'Aaron Fox return from injury and Dylan Harper be so impactful even as a rookie helped Stephon Castle cut down on turnovers as the series went on. Yes, it was pretty much a layup for the Spurs to bank on Harper's talent, and they did benefit from the NBA Draft lottery. But the lesson to learn for the Grizzlies is to seek as much talent as possible and figure out the fits later.
The Grizzlies have an exciting amount of draft capital and have an incredible 2026 NBA Draft to work with. Even though the Grizzlies should have one of Cam Boozer or Darryn Peterson available at #3, the team can learn from the Spurs' selection of Harper by getting the best players available not just in this draft but also in upcoming drafts too.
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