NBA Trade Rumors: Dallas Mavericks need a solid defensive guard like Gary Harris
The Dallas Mavericks are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the NBA right now. With a generational talent like Luka Doncic leading the franchise, the Dallas Mavericks have an incredibly bright future. After Doncic's arrival, there have been NBA trade rumors linking the Dallas Mavericks to several players, as they attempt to build a championship-contending team.
Kristaps Porzingis is a fantastic second option, and there are plenty of good NBA players in the supporting cast like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry. The Dallas Mavericks are already a playoff team in Doncic's sophomore season and could be one of the favorites to win the title in a couple of years. For that to happen, though, the Dallas Mavericks need to play their cards correctly and make full use of the offseasons, starting with the upcoming one.
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NBA Trade Rumors: Gary Harris would add excellent stability to the Dallas Mavericks' backcourt
The Dallas Mavericks acquired 6'5" guard Delon Wright from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, and it was viewed as a wise move back then for a talented player. It hasn't quite worked out for Wright with the Dallas Mavericks, as he finds himself out of the rotation as things stand. He has two years left on his current contract, which is worth around $9 million each season.
In Denver, promising guard Gary Harris has regressed a lot in the past two seasons. Harris was fantastic in defense and scored 17.5 points with great efficiency in the 2017-18 NBA season. This resulted in the Denver Nuggets handing him an $84 million contract that runs through four seasons. Now reduced to a 10 points per game scorer, Harris is shooting the three poorly with an efficiency of only 33.3%.
At 26, there's still a lot of time for him to arrest this slump and regain his form. The Dallas Mavericks should try and find an ideal trade for Harris because his defense is still pretty good.
Gary Harris' career statistics
Career points per game - 12.1Career assists per game - 2.1
Career rebounds per game - 2.6
Career field goal % - 45.4%
Career 3pt % - 36.0%
Harris' lateral quickness and stamina make him a great perimeter defender, something that will surely benefit the Dallas Mavericks. Moreover, even after considering his recent shooting slump, Harris is a career 36% shooter from outside. He needs his confidence back to raise the figure to the 40s and a change in scenery could be beneficial for him.
NBA Trade Rumors: What should the Dallas Mavericks give up for Gary Harris?
Any trade for Harris would involve Delon Wright. Although Gary Harris is the better player of the two and has a higher ceiling, both franchises would probably agree that the two players in the potential trade need to switch teams for their own benefit.
Delon Wright shot 37% from three with the Dallas Mavericks, which is an improvement over Harris' 33% with the Denver Nuggets. Moreover, Wright is a better rebounder and playmaker in his position. The Denver Nuggets may decide to cut their losses and let Gary Harris leave instead of paying him a hefty salary.
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