The Brooklyn Nets are looking to trade their veteran wing, Joe Harris according to Ric Bucher of FS1.
The report could come off as surprising to many but considering Brooklyn’s depth at the wing position — Harris, Royce O’Neale, Yuta Watanabe, and TJ Warren — it’s likely the team can look to deal their longest-tenured Net.
The Nets have started Harris for seven of their 11 games this season. Outside of Harris — who is averaging 7.6 points, 3.5 boards, 2.2 assists, and 0.6 steals in 26.1 minutes — Warren is creeping his way towards a foreseeable return.
The injured wing started contact work with coaches Friday but is not cleared yet for contact with players in scrimmage settings. The Nets will take a cautious approach with the career 15.5 point per game scorer before clearing him for a return. It’s likely he’ll make his Nets debut in December.
O’Neale has take a bigger role than Harris, who is coming off two ankle surgeries in the past calendar year. Watanabe has been a big bright spot for Brooklyn as well off the bench, bringing a scoring punch filled with a needed 3-and-D skillset.
Harris signed a four-year, $75 million extension with the Nets in November of 2020. He’s currently in the third season of his deal and is on a trade friendly contract for a sharpshooter of his caliber despite his injury history.
If Brooklyn is indeed looking to deal their longest-tenured Net, the team will likely target a stretch five big man or depth at the 5 — the glaring weakness on the roster. Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe are the only bigs on the depth-packed roster.
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