NBA Rumors: Joe Harris Leaving Brooklyn Nets In 2020 Free Agency, ‘Bleacher Report’ Predicts
After ending their playoff drought last season, the Brooklyn Nets became more aggressive in upgrading their roster and succeeded in acquiring Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in the 2019 NBA free agency. However, as they continue to build a title-contending team around Irving and Durant, the Nets could end up losing some of the players that helped them return to the Eastern Conference Playoffs last year. Aside from the players who could be potentially traded for a third superstar this summer, the Nets could also part ways with 2019 NBA three-point champion Joe Harris in free agency.
Harris is currently playing the final year of his contract and set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Though Harris has already expressed his desire to re-sign with the Nets, Megan Armstrong of Bleacher Report still predicts that he’ll leave, mainly because Brooklyn doesn’t have enough salary cap space to give him a decent contract.
“Harris told reporters Feb. 21 that he ‘definitely’ wants to remain a Net through free agency. However, it might not be up to him given the Nets are not projected to have any cap space. Durant and Irving are set to account for a combined $73,438,050 in cap space for the 2020-21 campaign, and Harris will command much more than the approximately $7.7 million contract he’s playing on this season. If Harris wants to play alongside Durant and Irving, he will likely have to do so on a shorter, team-friendly deal.”
Before the NBA went on a hiatus due to the spread of coronavirus, Harris was establishing an impressive performance on both ends of the floor, averaging 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. With his current production, some people believe that Harris could earn a contract that would pay him in the $16 million range per season this summer. Harris may not be an NBA superstar, but he has a strong chance to become one of the best three-point shooters in league history.
As much as they want to continue their partnership in the years to come, it appears the Nets don’t have the money to give Harris the contract he deserves. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity and efficiently knock down shots from beyond the arc, Harris would definitely receive plenty of suitors in free agency. If the Nets won’t do anything regarding their salary cap situation, Harris might really end up leaving Brooklyn and starting a new journey somewhere else this summer.
