Nets Rumors: Joe Harris, 2nd-Round NBA Draft Picks Traded to Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets reportedly agreed to trade guard Joe Harris to the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Nets are also sending the Dallas Mavericks' 2027 second-round pick and the Milwaukee Bucks' 2029 second-round pick to Detroit as part of the deal. It isn't yet known what Brooklyn is receiving in return.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal creates a $19.9 million traded player exception for the Nets and will give them more financial flexibility this offseason.

Brooklyn signed Harris to a four-year, $75 million contract extension in 2020, and he is set to enter the final year of his deal in 2023-24 at a salary of $19.9 million.

Spotrac projects the Pistons to have $27.8 million in practical cap space, which gives them the room to take on Harris' contract for one year, although a buyout seems like a strong possibility.

The 31-year-old Harris broke into the NBA as a second-round draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, and after spending two seasons with the Cavs, he was dealt to the Orlando Magic, who waived him, paving the way for Brooklyn to sign him.

In seven seasons with the Nets, Harris was largely a useful and productive player, primarily as a three-point marksman.

He was at his best during a three-year stretch from 2018 to 2021, averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers made and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Harris missed all but 14 games due to injury in 2021-22, and he was never able to reclaim the type of role he had previously once he returned last season.

While Harris did appear in 74 games, his averages of 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 three-pointers made per game were all personal lows during his time in Brooklyn.

The Nets shook up their roster significantly last season by trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and bringing in the likes of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, among others, which made it even more difficult for Harris to secure significant playing time.

As much as his numbers dipped last season, he still made 42.6 percent of his three-point attempts, meaning he still brings something significant to the table.

Assuming the Pistons buy him out since they are still a rebuilding team, Harris shouldn't have any problem landing with a contending team on an exception or minimum deal due to the value he brings as a sharpshooter off the bench.