Lakers’ LeBron James Praises 2025 NBA Draft Prospect

All season long, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper has caught the attention of NBA Draft experts and fans alike with his unique skillset. But it seems he’s caught the attention of a certain NBA superstar, too.

Averaging 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, Harper’s been one of the driving forces behind the Scarlet Knights so far this season, and he’s propelled himself to top-two stock in the 2025 NBA Draft alongside Cooper Flagg. At 6-foot-6, he’s displayed a do-it-all skillset, finishing with hyper-efficiency around the rim while being able to moonlight at both point and shooting guard.

After Monday’s Lakers-Hornets matchup — in which Los Angeles made it out with a five-point win — superstar LeBron James had high praise when asked about Harper:

“I mean, obviously I’ve been watching him for quite awhile,” James said. “He calls me ‘unc’ and I call him ’nephew.’ I love what he’s been doing at Rutgers, and I’ve been watching him for a long time now, and special kid, special talent.”

Now in Year 22, James is still playing at an All-Star level for the Lakers, being named an All-Star starter just days ago. With one of the best career resumes of all time, it’s safe to say he’s seen talent come and go in the big leagues.

“He’s going to be really good in this league,” James continued. “He comes from a great family, obviously. Me and Harp, his pops, go back awhile back. So I’m excited for what he’s been doing right now at Rutgers and what he’s going to continue to do in the future.”

As it stands now, Harper is likely the projected No. 2 pick only behind Flagg, though his Rutgers co-star in Ace Bailey has certainly made a push up boards with elite scoring in recent weeks. Per an earlier scouting report on Harper: “Harper is methodical and plays at his own pace. He has a strong ability to create for himself, leveraging his size to create advantages on offense. He’s a very crafty player with the ball in his hands and has a wide variety of advanced moves he can go to when he needs to get to his spot. Contact and physicality generally don’t bother him, especially given he’s creative at drawing fouls and getting easy points at the line.”

The Scarlet Knights are back in action against Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. CT. Harper has been dealing with a knee injury, getting moved to the bench and playing just 13 minutes in the team’s bout with No. 8 Michigan State on Jan. 25.

Harper has slowed down somewhat in recent weeks — largely due to a few minor injuries — but remains one of the top options in the class. Rutgers currently sits at 10-10 on the season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.