A few weeks ago, Gary Harris was a clear-cut member of the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation, a role he had rightfully earned. Yet, since the arrival of Cam Thomas via the buyout market, Harris's role has shrunk, and it's only going to continue getting smaller. It's a tough break for Harris, but he has been reduced to simply being a depth piece for the foreseeable future.
Bucks got an upgrade over Gary Harris with Cam Thomas signing
Since Thomas came aboard, Harris has averaged just nine minutes per game. That's quite the dip from the 17.1 minutes and the 15.1 minutes per matchup he averaged in December and January. Milwaukee has completely switched over to Thomas as a reserve in the backcourt, giving him 20 minutes per game over the team's last five outings.
It makes plenty of sense that Thomas has immediately leapfrogged Harris in the rotation. Even in his most productive month this year, Harris averaged just 2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per contest. Though he provided steady perimeter shooting and hard-nosed defense, the Bucks would not turn down an upgrade if one was presented. It was as soon as Cam Thomas was bought out.
Thomas offers far more upside. In his first five appearances with the team, he's averaged 18.4 points while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor. That type of offensive jolt was something that Harris could never provide. Sure, one could argue that Harris has more defensive upside, but that isn't enough to play him over Thomas, especially given the latter's uptick in effort on that end since coming to town.
Cam Thomas should only see his role grow in time as the Milwaukee Bucks potentially take him off an ongoing minutes restriction. As mentioned, he's only averaging 20 minutes per game, as the Bucks are watching him like a hawk after he missed 20 games earlier this season due to a hamstring strain. Though Thomas recently claimed he's healthy, Milwaukee isn't taking any early chances.
As Thomas gets healthier, Harris will only get pushed further down in the pecking order. It stings for Harris, without a doubt, but this always felt like his role with the Milwaukee Bucks from the moment he signed with the team this past summer. He also had an opportunity to showcase that he is ready for the call whenever the Bucks need him. That type of depth presence is always valuable.
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