Spurs commit to Harper, Fox and Castle together in the opening lineup against the Thunder

The San Antonio Spurs will open the regular season with three guards in their first five: coach Mitch Johnson said after Friday’s preseason finale that Dylan Harper will start next to De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit on Tuesday. The choice moves the second-year guard out of the sixth-man job he held for most of his rookie season and asks a reigning All-Star to share the ball with two other primary handlers from the first tip.

Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama complete the group. “We’re planning on starting that same crew,” Johnson said, according to reports, referring to the five who opened Friday’s game; News 4 San Antonio also reported the decision.

How the lineup looked in the preseason

The unit made its case in the 126-97 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday, October 16, at Frost Bank Center. San Antonio led 42-18 after one quarter and never let Sacramento back in, stretching the margin to 37. Every starter reached double figures. Harper led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3 of 6 from deep, with four assists in less than 21 minutes. Fox added 16 points and six rebounds, Wembanyama had 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes, Castle posted 13 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Vassell chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Keldon Johnson scored 15 off the bench, and the Spurs controlled the glass 61-38.

Two nights earlier against Phoenix, the trio of guards logged 11 minutes together and San Antonio was plus-10 in that stretch, ESPN noted, although the Suns sat most of their regulars and the group made only 2 of 9 three-point tries while on the floor.

The spacing question

The concern is shooting. Fox, Castle and Harper all do their best work attacking the rim, and defenses can sag into the paint against them. Last season the three shared the floor for just 69 minutes, 25 of them in the NBA Finals, and opponents outscored them by 47 points in that time, according to reports. The pairings were far kinder: Harper and Castle posted a net rating of plus-11.0 together in the regular season, Fox and Castle plus-9.4, and Fox and Harper plus-6.2.

Wembanyama sees the upside. “I’ve got handlers all around me,” the center said of playing with three ball-handlers. Fox, for his part, said the group’s ceiling will be decided by whether the shots fall.

The club showed its long-term belief in the young backcourt on Saturday, picking up the 2027-28 team options on Harper, Castle and Carter Bryant. Harper was the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft.

What comes next

The Spurs host the Thunder on Tuesday, October 20, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center. Follow the matchup in the Game Center.