Author: Monojit Mandal
The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to transfer point guard Joe Harris to the Detroit Pistons, in a deal announced on Friday. According to inside sources, the Nets’ deal will also include the 2027 second-round pick from the Dallas Mavericks and the 2029 second-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks. The specific details of what Brooklyn will receive in return have not yet been revealed.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets will receive a traded player exception of US$19.9 million as a result of the transaction. This move will give the club more financial freedom over the coming summer.
Joe Harris, 31, entered the NBA in 2014 as a second-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers. After one season with the Cavaliers, he was let go by the Orlando Magic, which led him to join the Brooklyn Nets. Harris stood out for his precision shooting skills, especially from beyond the arc, during his seven seasons with the Nets.
Harris averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers made and 2.1 assists per game from 2018 to 2021. During that three-year period, he had a field goal percentage of 49.7% and a three-point percentage of 45.8%.
However, Harris had a difficult season in 2021-2022 due to injuries that limited him to just 14 games. He was unable to regain his old role upon his return, resulting in personal lows in scoring averages of 7.6 points per game, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 three-point shots made.
Last season, the Nets made big changes to their roster, trading stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and bringing in new players like Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith. Due to these acquisitions, Harris was unable to gain considerable playing time.
Despite his lower statistics, Harris maintained an exceptional three-point shooting percentage of 42.6% last season, which suggests his continued usefulness as a bench sniper.
Given the rebuilding phase of the Detroit Pistons, they are expected to buy out Harris’ contract. As a result, the talented marksman should have no problem finding a new team, perhaps a title contender, on a minimum or exception contract. Harris’ ability to be a consistent three-point threat is still highly valued in the NBA.