Days ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, Dylan Harper gets compared to $16,600,000 worth ex-NBA star

With the 2025 NBA draft just days away, top prospect Dylan Harper is drawing major comparisons. In a recent video by CBS Sports, college basketball analyst Mike O’Donnell compared Harper’s style to that of retired NBA star Brandon Roy.

In the video posted on the CBS Sports Instagram page on Saturday, O’Donnell said:

“Dylan Harper is the absolute truth. This kid is so good,” O’Donnell said. “Big guard skills. Crafty finisher. We're going to come back to that in a second. Big handle. He's got every play in his bag.

“Brandon comp, if you're an NBA sicko, you know how good Brandon Roy is. Think about the crafty finishing.

“If you didn't watch Dylan Harper play, and you just watched the analytics, what's the analytics? He shot 65% at the rim. That's what Ryan Kalkbrenner does. He is one of the best finishers we've seen in that 6'4'', 6'5'' range. Just an absolute stud, Dylan Harper. I'd be shocked if he's not the second pick in the draft.”

Roy played six seasons in the NBA before injuries cut his career short. However, he still managed to become a three-time NBA All-Star and won Rookie of the Year in the 2006-07 season. He also made good money from playing, with his estimated net worth standing at around $16.6 million according to Forbes.

Harper shined during his freshman year at Rutgers, earning comparisons to Roy. The versatile 6-foot-6 guard averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, becoming one of the top recruits in the country.

His strong performances have now made him a likely top-three pick in the 2025 draft, with experts believing he could go as high as No. 2 overall.

Reason behind Dallas Mavericks’ Dylan Harper’s snub explained

The Mavericks hold the No. 1 pick for the 2025 NBA draft, and they avoided Harper during the workout process despite needing a point guard heading into next season.

The reason behind this decision was explained by Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, and it involves Cooper Flagg.

"Harper was never seriously considered for Dallas," Robinson alleged he heard from an NBA executive. "That's not a knock on him. The Mavericks were just laser-focused on Flagg, and they didn't want to send the wrong message by even entertaining another player at the top."

Harper held his only official pre-draft workout with the San Antonio Spurs at his high school, Don Bosco.