Joe Harris Contract a Priority for Nets in Free Agency, GM Sean Marks Says

The Brooklyn Nets have no interest in losing out on the shooting of Joe Harris in free agency.

"We hope that we can continue to build with Joe," general manager Sean Marks said, per Malika Andrews of ESPN. "Joe is an intricate piece to the program here, not only what he does and what everybody sees on the court, but it's off the court as well. He's seen this program develop and developed alongside this program. It would certainly be great to have him continue this ride with us."

It should come as no surprise that the Nets are interested in bringing Harris back for 2020-21 and beyond.

Following an inauspicious start to his career on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harris has found his footing in Brooklyn as an important secondary scorer and one of the best shooters in the league. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season behind 42.4 percent shooting from deep.

That number, which was seventh-best in the league, was actually lower than his league-leading 47.4 from 2018-19.

Shooting like that will be especially important for the Nets during the upcoming season. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant figure to draw the majority of the attention from opposing defenses, which will leave shooters on the wing open throughout the game.

There will be even more space if they land James Harden in a potential trade.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Houston Rockets star is "singularly focused on a trade to the Brooklyn Nets" and turned down a two-year, $103 million contract extension from his current team.

The idea of Harden, Irving and Durant drawing double-teams and Harris spotting up from deep is surely a worrisome one for the rest of the Eastern Conference.