Nets trading Joe Harris would be colossal mistake
The Brooklyn Nets have been without Joe Harris since he injured his left ankle against Oklahoma City on Nov. 14. Fifteen days after that, he underwent surgery and was given a timetable of 4-to-8 weeks for a return.
Based on that timeline, that means that at the latest, Harris should be back by Jan. 24. That’s in five days, and as we now know, his return is going to take more than the initial maximum of eight weeks.
The Nets suffered another blow on Jan. 15 when Kevin Durant suffered a sprained MCL and now he’s sidelined with Harris and is expected to be back within 4-to-6 weeks (hopefully).
Given the situation, Brooklyn needs to have its franchise leader in 3-point shots back sooner rather than later. His rehab has been trickier than expected, and Steve Nash already said that the Nets don’t want to rush him back, and for good reason.
In the meantime, though, Brooklyn’s discussed Harris on the trade market. The NBA trade deadline is officially 22 days away, and it wouldn’t be in the team’s best interest to get rid of their sharpshooter.
The Brooklyn Nets shouldn’t pursue a trade for 3-point shooter Joe Harris.
On Monday, Steve Nash said that Harris had been cleared for “light shooting.” Harris joined the Nets for their four-game road trip that began in Cleveland, but won’t play.
Although there have been bumps in the road regarding his return, it’s encouraging to know that he’s now able to shoot, which is his specialty. It’s taken some time, but he’s on the right track.
Now the question is, will he remain with Brooklyn beyond Feb. 10? Or will he be joining former teammate Jarrett Allen in Cleveland?
Brooklyn has ‘expressed a surprising willingness’ to discuss Joe Harris in trade talks, per @JakeLFischer pic.twitter.com/xBtgsdyJrt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 14, 2021
According to Bleacher Report’s Tim Daniels, the Cavaliers would target Harris if he’s made available.
However, the Nets shouldn’t look to trade Harris. The team’s had issues with scoring, especially from the 3-point line, and those issues only got worse when Harris went down.
This year, Brooklyn has a 10-4 record in games played with Harris. On the flip side, the Nets are 17-12 without him.
In 42 games, Patty Mills has shot 42% from the 3-point line, the highest percentage for him since 2013-14. He’s been a pleasant addition to Brooklyn’s roster, but he’s more of a role player at this point in his career.
Kyrie Irving’s return has provided the Nets with a much-needed scoring boost, but he can’t play in home games.
That’s part of the reason why Brooklyn got blown out by Milwaukee on Jan. 7, 121-109. The Bucks shot 16-of-45 (35.6%) from the 3-point line and the Nets shot 6-of-27 (22.2%).
In last Thursday’s 130-109 loss to Oklahoma City, Brooklyn shot 21.9% from three. The Thunder, the worst 3-point team in the NBA, knocked down 20 3-point shots for 44.4%.
Would the result of those two games be different if Harris had played? Probably.
Before getting hurt, Harris was averaging 11.3 points per game and was shooting 46.6% from three. That percentage is still the highest on the team, although he hasn’t played in a game in over two months.
That speaks volumes about the Nets’ lack of shooters. If Brooklyn were to trade Harris, its offense would continue to suffer, especially with Durant out, and Irving only being eligible to play in road games.
Sean Marks, if you’re reading this, don’t do it.
