The Milwaukee Bucks had a major overhaul this offseason, and one of the most under-the-radar signings was Gary Harris. Harris comes in with 11 years of NBA experience, but he could quickly find himself on the chopping block if he continues the trajectory he showed in Orlando.
Gary Harris is an aging veteran
Harris comes to the Bucks as a theoretical 3-and-D guard capable of contributing on both ends of the court. The idea of him on paper is a player who can lock down multiple positions and knock down open 3-pointers when presented with the opportunity. He’s meant to fill in the role that Pat Connaughton played on the Bucks’ championship team.
For his career, Harris has averaged 10 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. However, his overall aggression on offense has dwindled recently and came to a head last season when he averaged just 3 points per game while shooting 38 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.
Without some baseline level of offensive credibility, Harris won’t stick in the Bucks' rotation very well. The team is looking for two-way players around Giannis, and even the best perimeter defender on the roster, Andre Jackson Jr., could be cut or traded due to his lack of offense.
The Bucks are definitely a better offensive environment for Harris than the Magic were. Last season, the Magic finished 27th in the league in offensive rating compared to the Bucks’ 10th place ranking. Between Giannis Antetokoumpo’s drive-and-kick game and having other shooters on the team, Harris will get a lot more open looks in Milwaukee. But he needs to take and make them at a reliable clip too.
If not, he could find himself out of the rotation and on the trading block. Harris signed a two-year veteran minimum contract with a player option in the second year. That makes him extremely tradable in package deals as a salary filler.
Other teams can also convince themselves of Harris’ contributions, at least on defense. Even if his offense stalls out too much for a rotation spot in Milwaukee, there are other teams that desperately need defenders, no matter what. For example, an offense-heavy team like the Bulls might be able to use his services even if he doesn’t take many threes.
Gary Harris may still have some value as a veteran presence for the younger guards on the Bucks roster, even if he doesn’t get consistent playing time. Of course, the Bucks would still prefer for him to provide some on-court value, especially on defense.
Fortunately, Harris’ contract situation still gives him trade value, especially if the Bucks are looking to package him with another player that needs to be upgraded. His fate will be sealed as a trade piece if he doesn’t live up to expectations.