Joe Harris

Nets Re-Sign Joe Harris To Four-Year Deal

NOVEMBER 23: The Nets have officially re-signed Harris, the team announced today in a press release.

“From the moment he arrived in Brooklyn, Joe has epitomized what it means to be a Net,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “On the court, Joe has improved every season, and he’s worked diligently over the past four years to become a core member of our team. He is an excellent teammate, and his approach to the game, along with his character, have had a positive impact on all facets of the organization. Off the court, Joe is an outstanding person, and he and his family have become integral parts of our Nets family.”


NOVEMBER 20: The Nets are re-signing free agent Joe Harris to a four-year, $75MM deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The news of Harris returning to Brooklyn was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Harris, one of the league’s top three-point shooters, will help spread the floor alongside the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant next season. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 30.8 minutes per game last year, shooting 49% from the field and 42% from 3-point range.

In addition to Harris, Irving and Durant, Brooklyn also has Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Jordan on its roster entering the 2020/21 season. The team is widely expected to be at the forefront of contention in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets lost swingman Garrett Temple in free agency, who agreed to a one-year contract with Chicago. Plagued by injuries, Brooklyn finished with just a 35-37 record last season, the seventh-best in the East.

Harris’ deal will have luxury-tax implications for the Nets, who project to be well over the tax threshold in 2020/21 and figure to face significant penalties. While those penalties will be reduced if the NBA falls short of its revenue projections, Brooklyn’s current projected tax bill is $47.5MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Harris, Crowder, Hayward, KCP, Cousins, Hartenstein

There are “strong indications” that the Nets will get a commitment soon from sharpshooter Joe Harris, despite the fact that he’s receiving considerable interest from other suitors, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.

As we wait to see if Harris and the Nets come to an agreement, here are a few more free agency rumors:

  • After agreeing to re-sign Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard early in free agency, the Heat are “in the game” to bring back Jae Crowder as well, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Miami is remaining over the cap and prioritizing retaining its own free agents so far this offseason.
  • As rumors swirl that Gordon Hayward prefers to land with the Pacers, Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) hears that the free agent forward has little interest in joining the Hawks.
  • Teams that are monitoring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency expect the Knicks to have interest in the veteran wing, Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes.
  • DeMarcus Cousins is receiving some attention from teams early in free agency tonight, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’s not yet clear which teams may be in the hunt for the former All-Star.
  • Free agent big man Isaiah Hartenstein is receiving some interest from the Nuggets, a league source tells Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Denver just lost backup center Mason Plumlee and appears to be in the market for some frontcourt depth.

Hawks Confident About Chances In Free Agency

Former Hawks forward Vince Carter said on ESPN’s The Jump that he has heard Atlanta is confident it will be able to land two free agents from a group that includes Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Joe Harris, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic echoes that sentiment (via Twitter).

While Harris and Bogdanovic may still be in play for the Hawks, it sounds as if Gallinari and Rondo are the more likely candidates to end up in Atlanta.

Reports earlier in the week suggested that the Hawks are viewed as the frontrunners for both veteran free agents, with Gallinari perhaps in line for a three-year deal and Rondo expected to receive a two-year offer.

Atlanta is the only team set to enter free agency with more than $40MM in cap room available, so even if the team lands Gallinari and Rondo, it still should have money left over to spend.

Nets Rumors: Durant, Harden, Harris, Ibaka

The Nets aren’t hiding their optimism about Kevin Durant with the new season just weeks away, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Durant has been out of action since suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during the 2019 NBA Finals, but his recent workouts have players and management believing he can return to an MVP level.

“I don’t think anybody is more excited than Kevin himself to get back on the court. He’s mentioned numerous times he can’t wait to be back, in Barclays, wearing the Nets jersey and being out there,” general manager Sean Marks said in an interview Thursday on the YES Network . “As it pertains to how those guys look, what we’ve seen — they’ve been back in our gym now a couple days — the feedback from the performance team on how they’ve looked is they look terrific. It’s been remarkable to watch Kevin’s development and the way he’s attacked his rehabilitation over the course of the last year. We’re all champing at the bit and excited to see him out there.”

Players who participated in pickup games with Durant during the past month in Los Angeles also had glowing reports, with Jarrett Allen telling Basketball News, “I’ll just keep it short and simple: KD is back again.”

There’s more this morning from Brooklyn:

  • Marks isn’t addressing questions about James Harden, who reportedly asked the Rockets to trade him to the Nets to reunite with Durant, Lewis tweets. Marks is limited in what he can say about a potential deal because of tampering rules. “All you can do is prepare yourself to put the best possible roster forward,” Marks said. “…We just have to be flexible for everything that happens, and put the best roster forward.”
  • Re-signing Joe Harris will be the team’s top priority when free agency officially kicks off this afternoon, Lewis notes in a separate story. One of the league’s top three-point shooters, Harris is reportedly eager for the chance to play alongside Durant and Kyrie Irving“Those are guys I’ve gotten close with now that I’ve been with them this past year,” Harris said. “They’re obviously incredible players. You see what they’re able to do when they are healthy and playing. I don’t think there’s anybody in the NBA who wouldn’t want to play with those guys.”
  • Durant has been recruiting Serge Ibaka, his former teammate in Oklahoma City, but the Nets may not be able to afford him, Lewis adds. Brooklyn is limited to the taxpayer exception of $5.7MM, while several other teams interested in Ibaka can offer the full MLE of $9.3MM.

Free Agent Roundup: Gallinari, Harris, Millsap

The Heat could be among the teams bidding for free agent forward Danilo Gallinari, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If Giannis Antetokounmpo accepts a super-max offer from the Bucks, there will be less incentive for Miami to preserve cap room for next summer. If the two-time MVP is off the market, Scotto hears that the Heat will extend Bam Adebayo, try to re-sign Goran Dragic and look to add a forward, possibly Gallinari, in free agency.

Oklahoma City is expected to structure the trade for Al Horford so it can retain Gallinari’s cap hold, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

There’s more free agent news to pass along:

  • A rumor circulating earlier today that the Mavericks and Thunder were negotiating a sign-and-trade deal involving Gallinari is false, at least so far, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
  • The Hawks and Hornets were both planning to pursue Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris, but it seems increasingly likely that he will remain in Brooklyn, Scotto notes in the same piece. Charlotte will look for more affordable guards who can give the team veteran leadership and shooting.
  • Nuggets forward Paul Millsap could be in line for the Trail Blazers‘ full mid-level exception if he signs in Portland, Scotto adds. The Blazers are expected to make a strong push for the 35-year-old.

Joe Harris Still Considered Likely To Re-Sign With Nets

Teams monitoring Joe Harris‘ free agency “firmly believe” that he’ll end up re-signing with the Nets, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer also reported this week that Harris appears likely to remain in Brooklyn.

While the Nets are the frontrunners for the free agent sharpshooter, they’ll face competition. Begley writes that the Hawks and Hornets will be among the many teams interested in Harris. Atlanta and Charlotte are two of the only teams that will have the cap space necessary to offer Harris a deal worth more than the mid-level exception ($9.3MM) without requiring a sign-and-trade.

Two executives who spoke to Begley estimated that Harris could end up with a deal in the range of $16-20MM annually. Teams with interest in the 29-year-old believe he could get a four-year offer from Brooklyn, Begley adds.

If, for whatever reason, the market for Harris isn’t quite as hot as expected, the Knicks – another team projected to have cap room – will have interest too, but that’s unlikely, writes Begley.

Re-signing Harris would push the Nets well into tax territory, but he’s an important piece in a rotation that features ball-dominant players like Kevin Durant Kyrie Irving, and Caris LeVert. Harris doesn’t need the ball a lot and is a reliable floor spacer and knock-down shooter, having made 43.9% of his three-point attempts over the last three seasons.

O’Connor’s Latest: Hornets, Knicks, Toppin, Spurs, Harris, More

League sources have long said that the Hornets‘ preference on draft night would be adding a big man, either by trading up for James Wiseman or by picking Onyeka Okongwu, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. However, according to O’Connor, there are some people in Charlotte’s front office who like the idea of drafting LaMelo Ball if he’s available.

As O’Connor notes, one potential avenue for the Hornets if Wiseman is off the board at No. 3 and Ball is available would be to trade down with a team like Chicago or Detroit that might be eyeing Ball. In that scenario, Charlotte could theoretically pick up an extra asset or two while still having the opportunity to select Okongwu.

Here are a few more of the most interesting tidbits from O’Connor’s latest mock draft at The Ringer:

  • O’Connor’s sources believe the Knicks will select Obi Toppin if he’s available at No. 8. If the Dayton forward makes it past Cleveland at No. 5, there’s a chance he’ll still be on the board for New York.
  • The Spurs “love” Villanova forward Saddiq Bey, according to O’Connor, who says San Antonio is also one of multiple teams with interest in trading up for Florida State’s Patrick Williams.
  • “Everyone around the league” thinks that the Thunder will look to trade up to land seven-footer Aleksej Pokusevski, who has been frequently linked to Oklahoma City in large part due to his agent’s connection to general manager Sam Presti. Agent Jason Ranne used to work in the Thunder’s front office.
  • Within his note on the Nets‘ potential pick at No. 19, O’Connor cites sources who say that Brooklyn is likely to re-sign free agent sharpshooter Joe Harris.
  • The Nuggets are thought to be targeting a frontcourt player at No. 22, league sources tell O’Connor, who identifies Isaiah Stewart and Zeke Nnaji as a couple possibilities.

Atlantic Notes: Bullock, Harris, Richardson, Horford, Raptors

Knicks guard Reggie Bullock has a team-friendly, non-guaranteed $4.2MM contract for next season and there are good reasons to retain him, including his friendship with Chris Paul, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

Bullock provides a veteran presence along with his reputation for being a 3-and-D wing. New York would still take a cap hit of $1MM if it doesn’t guarantee Bullock’s contract prior to free agency. Bullock’s close friendship with Paul, a potential trade target for his former agent and current Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, also works in his favor.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Nets can’t afford to let wing Joe Harris in free agency, Mike Mazzeo of Forbes.com opines. The Nets own Harris’ Bird rights, so they can make him a substantial offer even if it pushes them deeper into luxury tax territory. If they let him walk, they’d only have the taxpayers’ mid-level exception to replace him. Brooklyn is expected to have competition for Harris’ services with estimates that it would need to offer Harris a $15MM starting salary to retain him.
  • Josh Richardson and Al Horford will be traded this offseason, The Athletic duo of Rich Hofmann and Derek Bodner project in an examination of the Sixers‘ roster. In other predictions, they believe young defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle could be added a trade sweetener in a deal involving Richardson or Horford, while Alec Burks will leave in free agency.
  • San Diego State guard Malachi Flynn and Kansas guard Devon Dotson worked out for the Raptors on Sunday, Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated tweets. Colorado forward Tyler Bey also worked out for Toronto, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets. In ESPN’s ranking of best available prospects, Bey is slotted at No. 28 with Dotson at No. 33 and Flynn at No. 38. The Raptors own the No. 29 pick.

New York Notes: Durant, Harris, Oladipo, Knicks

Medical experts are optimistic about Kevin Durant‘s chances to bounce back from his torn Achilles tendon, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Nets‘ star forward hasn’t played since suffering the injury in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, but he showed some signs of progress in workouts before before the hiatus.

Durant will be in the second season of a four-year, $164MM contract with Brooklyn, and the franchise is hoping that he and Kyrie Irving will turn it into an instant contender. Durant was only 30 when the injury occurred and turned 32 last month, so that gives him an advantage over players such as Patrick Ewing, Isiah Thomas and Kobe Bryant, who had similar injuries later in their careers.

“That’s better for him, so I don’t see anything holding him back,” said Dr. Laith Jazrawi, chief of the division of sports medicine at NYU Langone Sports Health. “The only thing is he hasn’t played for a year-and-a-half, so it’ll take time to get back into the rhythm. Some people are going to say ‘Oh, it’s because he had his Achilles (injury).’ That’s not true. It’s that when anyone doesn’t play for a year-and-a-half, it’s just going to take time to get back into the flow. But he should do fine.”

Durant said his love for the game has increased as he tries to work his way back. He recently appeared on the Stewie’s World podcast with Breanna Stewart of the WNBA, who was able to overcome a torn Achilles and return to stardom.

“I just appreciate being in the gym. I appreciate the workouts and the one-on-one sessions and just being in there with the other guys, just the whole routine,” Durant said. “I just have a newfound evolved level of joy for it.”

There’s more from New York City this morning:

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Hayes, Nets, Harris, Sixers

Killian Hayes has a “narrow edge” as the second point guard on the Knicks‘ draft board, behind LaMelo Ball, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post.

As Berman writes, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Knicks would select Hayes if he’s available at No. 8. The team likes some non-point guards near the top of the draft, including Obi Toppin and Isaac Okoro, and has also mulled the possibility of trading down. However, Berman’s report suggests the Knicks would favor Hayes over other point guards such as Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, and Kira Lewis, among others.

Hayes, who spent the 2019/20 season in Germany, has agreed to do a limited number of private, in-person workouts with teams, according to Berman, who adds that the Knicks will probably be one of those teams.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • The Nets should expect to receive a good deal of competition when they attempt to re-sign Joe Harris this offseason, Zach Lowe said this week on his Lowe Post podcast. “These teams with cap room all view Joe as a potential very good fit on the floor and a good culture guy,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “I think Harris may have even more of an market because teams trust their defense more. He’s more sort of positionally fluid on defense. I think the Nets are going to have to pay (around) $15MM per year to keep Joe Harris.”
  • In the wake of a report that indicated the Nets looked into a Jrue Holiday trade at last season’s deadline, Brian Lewis of The New York Post examines Brooklyn’s potential interest in the Pelicans guard and weighs the possibility of an offseason deal.
  • Rich Hofmann of The Athletic evaluates a number of hypothetical trade proposals involving the Sixers. Besides considering popular subjects of trade speculation such as Chris Paul and Buddy Hield, Hofmann also explores trade ideas involving under-the-radar targets like Tomas Satoransky and Delon Wright.