Aaron Wiggins sits at the center of a bigger Spurs question after Dylan Harper voiced displeasure earlier in the season about a lack of playing time and his role. Harper, the clear-cut No. 2 overall pick, was playing around 20 minutes a game early in the year before his role grew as the season progressed.
Dylan Harper’s Minutes Rise
That shift changed the conversation. Harper did not stay stuck in a limited lane for long, and his more experienced minutes helped soften the frustration that surfaced when he wanted more touches and more responsibility.
He then backed up the larger role in the postseason, where he was terrific in the playoffs and especially in the Finals. The Spurs needed that production during a 2025/26 season that almost ended with a title, and Harper’s surge made his place in the rotation harder to ignore.
Spurs Guard Rotation Pressure
The lineup math is the problem now. De’Aaron Fox is one of the starting guards and is on a maximum contract, Stephon Castle is the team’s best point-of-attack defender, and Devin Vassell had arguably his best season as a do-it-all swingman and was by far the best shooter on the backcourt.
That leaves Mitch Johnson with a difficult call if Harper wants to start. He may be fine with a sixth-man role for now as long as he gets more touches and finishes games, but that arrangement only works if the minutes and usage match the confidence he showed in the postseason.
Keeping Harper Happy
If Harper is not satisfied in that role, the Spurs could be pushed toward a tougher roster choice, including whether Fox becomes part of the conversation. Keeping Harper happy should be one of the franchise’s biggest priorities, because his early complaint was not about status alone; it was about whether his game would keep growing inside a crowded guard group.
