What’s Next For Joe Harris?
Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Joe Harris was traded to the Orlando Magic.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have made their first trade of the season. According to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, they traded guard/forward Joe Harris, a 2017 second-round draft pick and cash to the Orlando Magic in exchange for a 2020 second-round draft pick.
The move will save the Cavaliers $2.9 million in salary and tax fees. The 2017 second-round pick is the protected pick from the Sacramento Kings, and the pick the Cavaliers will receive is from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Harris underwent successful right foot surgery Tuesday and will likely miss the remainder of the season. The Magic waived Harris and he is free to sign elsewhere.
Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers picked Harris third overall in the second round in the 2014 NBA Draft. The University of Virginia product spent most of his two years in the D-League. He was primarily used as a three-point shooting threat. In his 56 games played with the Cavaliers, he shot .364 from three-point range and was an average defender.
He also averaged 2.5 points per game. His best game was against the Philadelphia 76ers last season where he scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting. He also went 4-of-8 from three-point range in the game.
While playing for the Canton Charge of the D-League, He put up decent numbers. He averaged 16.4 points per game and was .323 from three-point range this season. Harris didn’t have a chance to show what he could truly bring to the team in a full season, but that is the price some players pay when a team is in a “win now” mode.
That now leaves the Cavaliers with no current players from the 2014 draft. They traded No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and 2013 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love.
So what does this mean for Harris?
He will likely have two options. He can go to a contending team that is in need of shooting or is willing to be patient and let him develop. The San Antonio Spurs are notorious for this. They took Danny Green, who was a second-round pick of these Cavaliers, and turned him into a dangerous shooting threat especially in the postseason.
They also did this with Patty Mills and Boris Diaw. However, the other choice for Harris could be going to a rebuilding team such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers. He could convince them that he could help contribute, and he would likely get more playing time than he would with a contender.
Either way, he should get a shot this year or by training camp next season.
Although the Cavaliers will potentially be contending for the next few years, and drafting isn’t at the forefront, I fear that the Jason Kapono effect will take place again. In 2003, the Cavaliers drafted Kapono in the second round out of UCLA. He only played in 41 games that season, but fans could tell early that he was going to be a good spot-up shooter.
He shot .477 from three-point range, which was 15th best in the NBA that season. Kapono was then released. After a one-year stint with the then Charlotte Bobcats, he signed with the Miami Heat and won a championship in 2006, leading the league in three-point percentage at .514 that season, and won the three-point shootout at the All-Star game twice.
That would be the worst likely outcome for the Cavaliers with the trade of Harris.
I could potentially see him going to the either the New York Knicks or Golden State Warriors. Both of those teams run the triangle offense and it would fit the skill set of Harris perfectly. He could be a Rick Fox-type of player within the offense. A tough, gritty player that is a good three-point shooter and could have the occasional big game.
More hoops habit: NBA: 25 Greatest Scorers of All-Time
He has already proven that he can play at the highest level, but he just needs the chance. With the right coaching, Harris could play a huge role and make a difference.