NBA Free Agency: Does Joe Harris’ sweet shooting make him a target for the Bucks?

After building his skills in a successful two-year spell with the Brooklyn Nets, could Joe Harris be an option for the Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Free Agency?

Who is Joe Harris?

Joe Harris is a 26-year-old wing, who after an accomplished college career has had to deal with more than his fair share of ups and downs since making the jump to the NBA. Luckily for Harris, as he prepares to field contract offers, he’s very much on an upward trajectory at this present time.

Harris was a Washington Mr. Basketball prior to arriving in college, where he carved out an impressive career under Tony Bennett‘s guidance at the University of Virginia, while playing alongside Malcolm Brogdon for much of that time.

Harris stayed a full four-year term with the Cavaliers, ultimately helping Virginia to their first ACC Tournament title in over 30 years as a senior, and picking up ACC Tournament MVP honors in the process.

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That pedigree and production helped Harris to land with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the 33rd overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft.

Harris showed signs of promise with the Cavs and on assignment in the G League, but the return of LeBron James eventually turned Cleveland’s timeline upside down and led to a dramatically reduced role for Harris.

Eventually traded to the Magic and immediately waived, Harris found himself on the open market before landing with the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2016.

As a key cog on Kenny Atkinson’s rebuilding squad, Harris showed significant improvement in Brooklyn as he became an incredibly reliable shooter and gained a reputation for his work ethic — something which he credits in part to watching LeBron in Cleveland.

Speaking to Mike Scotto of The Athletic, Nets veteran DeMarre Carroll discussed the habits that have allowed Harris to put together a career-year heading into free agency.

"“Joe’s been a true professional the whole year. I feel like he’s one of the key guys to just show what direction this program is going and how you can keep getting better each and every day. I think he’s a staple for that. He just comes in every day and works, doesn’t say too much, he doesn’t complain, he doesn’t hang his head during this losing season. At the end of the day, he just keeps working. That’s what true professionals do.”"

With all of that considered, let’s take a closer look at the positive and negative elements of Harris’ game, what his price may be on the open market, and how he could potentially fit with the Bucks.