Why Did The Orlando Magic Choose To Extend Gary Harris?

The strategy of rebuilding teams to add veterans to young cores is an interesting one.

Questions arise in response to different approaches:

How much money should we spend on veteran talent?

Will pouring resources into acquiring veterans lead to less opportunities for our young core?

Do these contracts have value around the NBA?

Is now the right time to spend on these free agents?

Do we lose flexibility in the short and long-term for investing in this player?

All of these questions are valid and should be asked by organizations that want to properly self-evaluate their team and future. Orlando is currently in a place where they are rebuilding and need to lean into their youth, but also decided to bring back veteran guard Gary Harris on a two-year, $26 million contract extension. The second year of that deal is non-guaranteed, but has a guarantee date of June 30, 2023.

That choice seems like an odd one based on the likely goals of the franchise, but there could be some validity to the decision.

Harris is entering his 9th season in the NBA after being drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2014. He slowly but surely started to make an impact in Denver, eventually becoming an immensely important player to the 2017-18 team that won 46 games. He averaged almost 18 points per game and shot 40 percent from 3-point range on nearly six attempts per game. His defensive acumen was a perfect complement to Jamal Murray and it felt as if the Nuggets had a trio they could build a team around. The value of Harris was so high around the league that Sports Illustrated ranked him as the 48th best player entering the 2019-20 season, which put him ahead of Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, and Marcus Smart.

Injuries and poor shooting would cripple his value, which eventually led to him being traded to the Magic in 2020. His numbers remained pretty similar to what he did in Denver— the struggles continued from deep and he lacked the ability to generate anything in the paint.

This past season was a bit of a change for Harris— he took far less of his shots from the rim than he did in the past. Only 23% of his shots came at the rim, which is remarkable considering he hasn’t dipped under 30% since his rookie season. The reason for why this is so important to his shot profile is because he’s a pretty mediocre shooter when he gets to the basket. He’s always been an effective player when he cuts (especially when he played with Nikola Jokic), but those opportunities are very far and few between.

His efficiency also benefited from a revamped shot diet that focused on him getting looks from the corner. The 3-pointer and its impact on the game is well documented, but it is the corner 3-point shot that is the most deadly for opposing teams to give up at a high clip. Harris decided to jack up his opportunities from the area last season by taking 25% of his shots from the spot. That allowed him to shoot his highest percentage from deep since the 2017-18 season.

The biggest issue with Harris in the past was his decreased efficiency and that completely hollowed out his value across the league. A touch of defense with that amped up shooting ability this past season made him not only valuable to teams across the league that were rumored to be interested in his services, but to the Orlando Magic. One of the most important player types for upper-echelon playoff teams is a wing on the perimeter that can play defense and shoot. Harris has shown in his career that he can be that type of player and he once again proved that this past season.

That now allows the Magic to utilize Harris in the perfect manner– a helpful veteran that can solidify lineups with the youngsters while also accruing value around the league so he could be moved at the deadline. Depending on how the team does and how they view him that might not be the only course of action.

Part of being on a rebuilding team is a willingness to buy in to the program and support the young guys. Gary Harris has already smartly done that by attending summer league with several other Orlando teammates. Obviously, attending summer league doesn’t automatically translate to a willingness to succeed in a prescribed role, but nonetheless it is a good sign. It shows that even though he is a veteran finding himself– he can still teach the young ones a thing or two.