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Top NBA Draft Prospect Compares Himself to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Harden

Draft prospect Dylan Harper revealed his NBA player comparisons in a recent interview

Grant Mona

Nov 11, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) dribbles the ball down the court as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Nov 11, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) dribbles the ball down the court as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The NBA Draft is set for June 25th, and buzz is starting to heighten over the top prospects in this class. Duke's Cooper Flagg is the consensus top pick, but other draft hopefuls are now using the Draft Combine and interviews to boost their stock for the selecting teams.

Dylan Harper is heavily considered to be the second-best player in the draft, next to Flagg, with the Spurs holding all of the cards at the number 2 overall spot.

harpe
Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) gestures to the fans during overtime against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Harper spoke at the NBA Draft Combine to discuss his peers in the draft as well as what comparisons he can draw for himself to current NBA players.

“From a scoring standpoint, he’s 6-10, he sees over everyone. I probably haven’t seen a scorer better than him. A young T-Mac (Tracy McGrady)," Harper said when asked about Ace Bailey, another top prospect.

Harper went on to say that his player comparisons in the league currently are, "Probably James Harden, Cade Cunningham, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.”

James Harden is a candidate for an All-NBA team this year, and his career accolades include an MVP award in 2018, three scoring titles, 10 All-Star selections, and is a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Cunningham, a former number 1 overall pick, was named an All-Star for the first time this season and led the Pistons to their first playoff run since 2019.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is widely considered to win the Most Valuable Player award in the NBA in the coming days, and posted career-high's across the board, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to back-to-back seasons as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
May 13, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) runs down the court for a play against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Those are lofty expectations for Dylan Harper, but with his ability to be a left-handed, shifty, but explosive combo guard, the bar has been set by himself to be considered with those names.

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Grant Mona
GRANT MONA

Grant Mona is a multimedia sports journalist based in Los Angeles, covering multiple teams. He is a co-host and producer on The Sporting Tribune Today on The BET Las Vegas, KIRN 670 in Southern California and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network. He formerly played baseball with the University of the Pacific Tigers.

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