NBA Rumors: Nets Still Don't Want to Trade Joe Harris amid Kyrie Irving, Lakers Buzz
July 18, 2022
The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly determined to keep guard Joe Harris rather than include him in any Kyrie Irving trade.
"They don't want to trade him. They are not shopping him, and he is not a salary dump," Brian Lewis of the New York Post said in a Spotify Live with Marc Stein. "I'm told that they want to keep him. It's just a matter of, 'Can they keep him in whatever deal might be upcoming for Kyrie?'"
Harris has been considered potential trade fodder in a deal with Irving, potentially for salary-matching purposes if a deal sends the All-Star guard to the Los Angeles Lakers for Russell Westbrook.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports previously reported the Lakers prefer Seth Curry over Harris if a deal is eventually reached. Curry will make $8.5 million in the final year of his current contract, whereas Harris has two years and $38.6 million remaining on his deal.
Harris is the longest-tenured player on the Nets roster, having signed in 2016 when they were in the midst of a full-scale rebuild. He emerged as one of the NBA's most reliable three-point threats, shooting at least 41.9 percent from deep in each of the last five seasons.
However, Harris is coming off an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign that saw him limited to 14 games because of a left ankle injury. He underwent ligament reconstruction in March and is expected to be healthy for training camp.
The Nets are seeking to remain competitive despite the trade request of Kevin Durant, prioritizing All-Star talent over future draft picks in talks with other teams. If Brooklyn is able to acquire at least one All-Star for Durant and then move Irving, retaining a healthy Harris would be a boost to next season's playoff hopes.
That said, we're seemingly still at the infancy stages of Durant trade talks. No team has emerged as a significant favorite, and the Phoenix Suns, once thought to be a strong contender for Durant, may be out of the running after being forced to match a max offer sheet for Deandre Ayton.