Devin Harris has become one of the league's most enigmatic players. Only three years removed from being named as a reserve to the NBA All-Star game, he finds himself playing just 25 MPG, averaging 8.7 PPG and 4.3 APG. Those numbers are a far cry from 2009, when he shined as a promising young point guard on the Nets with 21.3 PPG, 7 APG, and 36 MPG.
Even last year, Harris produced 15.7 PPG and 7.6 APG in New Jersey before being packaged to Utah at the trade deadline.
Rotoworld noted that the Jazz' point guard looked "disengaged at times" in a loss against the Hornets on Monday, in which Harris only produced two points and three turnovers in 19 minutes on the floor. The following day against the Thunder, he committed an absurd five fouls in just 15 minutes of playing time.
At 28-years-old, the former University of Wisconsin guard should still have several years of basketball left to play, but with several erratic performances in Utah this season, a change of scenery could be best. Harris could be struggling to find continuity and rhythm, as his backup Earl Watson plays 22 minutes per game (only 3 minutes less than he does). Going into a situation where he can be the mainstay at point guard for at least 32 minutes a night may be enough to re-invigorate his career.
It should be noted that after being traded to the Jazz last season, the former lottery pick was still able to put up 15.8 PPG and 5.4 APG when given 31.2 MPG.
With the Lakers struggling to find a niche at the point guard position, they could certainly be in play if they showed interest. It would not be the first time that a player would be given the opportunity to redeem his career in the purple and gold, as Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace can attest. The Trail Blazers, who are beginning to struggle with Raymond Felton, could also be on the radar if the Jazz came calling.
Harris is under contract throughout the end of next season and will make 8.5 MM in 2012/2013. If the 6'3 guard can return close to his All-Star form, he will be a bargain at that salary. Right now, the Jazz could be willing to sell low.
I wouldn’t say the Lakers revived the careers of Odom or Artest. Yes, it gave them both their best opportunity to win a championship, but neither player’s career was close to dying. In fact they were both coming off solid years when they went to LA, both a hot commodity at those respective times. The Heat only parted with LO in order to get Shaq, and several teams offered Artest more money than he took to come to LA. Harris’s value is fairly low at this point and it seems that it is a good time to buy low for the Lakers.
I understand your point, but I don’t think Lamar Odom was going to have a chance to win a championship in Miami just as I would think that Ron Artest wasn’t going to win one with Houston/Sacramento. Lamar Odom was doing well on the Heat, and it earned him a spot on the 2004 Olympic team, so it isn’t to say that he was going into a downward spiral.
However, the Lakers eventually gave him a chance to be an X-factor on a championship team. When Lamar Odom retires and his playing career is analyzed, the first thing that I would think would come to mind is how valuable he was to the Lakers franchise during their championship runs, and not necessarily that cup of coffee he had with the Heat or the four seasons he had with the Clippers.
As for Ron Artest, as much as people valued how well Artest could play, he still had a tumultuous exit in Houston. I remember the story of him angering Rockets’ owner Leslie Alexander in one instance where he wound up on a bus of friends and team sponsors in only his underwear.
link to blog.chron.com…
This was during a hard fought playoff series mind you, and the Rockets did not really make an attempt to bring him back during that off-season.
Or who could forget the Jazz-Kings game in 2008, where he began to make a fool of himself on the court by pounding his chest and taunting the crowd while his team was trailing?
link to youtube.com…
Two years later, he’s the hero of Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
I mean to put more emphasis on the Lakers being known as a nice change of scenery. Harris could have a platform to make the apex of his career something great, just as they did.