Portland Trail Blazers free agency shooting guard target: Gary Harris
The Trail Blazers have an important decision to make about their upcoming future. Do they want to try to go all-in with Damian Lillard? Or err on the side of caution and keep their chips close to build around Anfernee Simons post-Dame Time?
Signing Gary Harris would be an indicator that Portland is trying to win as soon as possible. 27 in September and owner of an extensive injury history, the veteran guard is likely already in his prime or possibly on the tail end of it.
Still, Harris has all the tools necessary to support Damian Lillard in his conquest for a coveted ring off of the bench.
He’s a requisite 3-and-D guard, striking on 38 percent of triples this season while taking over four attempts per game and playing lockdown defense on the wings.
While injuries have sapped some of the athleticism that made him a 3-and-D plus back in the day, he still has enough in the tank to keep defenses honest when attacking closeouts.
On the season, he’s averaging 11.5 points on 44 percent shooting from the field.
Harris’s skills should make him a hot commodity this free agency period, but with most veteran teams stripped of cash, the Trail Blazers should be able to get him for one of their exceptions.
The Trail Blazers could certainly do worse than Gary Harris for $8-10 million per year. That contract should be an asset in trades in case the fit isn’t ideal, but his versatility should prevent that from happening, Still, adding his talent on a midlevel contract may come up useful in trading for another star down the road.