Devin Harris
Encyclopedia
Devin Lamar Harris is an American professional basketball
player for the Utah Jazz
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. Harris was selected with the fifth pick in the 2004 NBA Draft
by the Washington Wizards
.
; the son of Terry and Julie Harris. Throughout high school, Harris was a superior athlete and took up basketball
and volleyball
at Wauwatosa East High School
. He played volleyball for only one season, a season in which he gained all-conference honors, before he set that aside to focus on basketball. Harris was nagged by injuries after his sophomore year of high school and was unable to participate in the summer basketball camps and tournaments that are ever important in the recruiting process.
Harris exploded his senior season at Wauwatosa East, setting school scoring records through an undefeated regular season. Harris was named Wisconsin's "Mr. Basketball" for 2001, edging out Travis Diener
of Fond du Lac High School
. Harris finally accepted an offer to play for Dick Bennett
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. Bennett retired in the midst of the upcoming season and by the time Harris arrived on campus, Bo Ryan
was the head coach.
Harris' number 20 jersey was retired by Wauwatosa East at ceremonies held in 2007.
(which had eleven teams at the time). On a team led by seniors Charlie Wills and Travon Davis, the Badgers won an unexpected Big Ten Championship (shared with three other teams: Indiana
, Illinois
, and Ohio State University
).
Harris' sophomore season was his "breakout" year. Harris, along with senior Kirk Penney
and fellow sophomore Mike Wilkinson
, led the Badgers to their second consecutive Big Ten Championship, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. In the NCAA Tournament
, the Badgers reached the "Sweet 16". In the Sweet 16 game against the University of Kentucky
, Harris showcased his skill before a national audience, despite an eventual Badger loss.
The 2003–2004 season saw Harris establish himself as one of the top players in the nation. Harris was the leader on the team and was considered a "coach on the floor" by Bo Ryan
. He received Big Ten Player of the Year and the Silver Basketball award, and was named a Second Team All-American. Harris decided to leave college early after his junior year to play in the NBA; however, he is currently taking summer classes to get his degree in sociology
.
and Dallas Mavericks
consummated a deal that involved the Wizards' 5th overall pick going to the Mavs along with Jerry Stackhouse
and Christian Laettner
in exchange for Antawn Jamison
. NBA rules prevented teams from trading draft picks for two consecutive years (in addition to trade kicker details in Laettner's contract) so the deal was momentarily delayed until the actual draft in which Washington selected Harris and subsequently traded him to the Mavericks to complete the deal. The Mavs' plan was to bring Harris along slowly under the tutelage of all-star point guard Steve Nash
but Nash ended up leaving the team through free agency and signing with the Phoenix Suns
.
of 14.69. He ranked 2nd in the NBA in steals per 48 minutes at 3.15 (behind Larry Hughes
), and in November 2004 was named the Rookie of the Month. Although he started for much of the early portion of the season, his playing time dwindled as the season progressed.
Harris showed marked improvement in the early stages of the 2005–06 NBA season, especially when it came to scoring; as a result, his minutes increased and he took more ball-handling responsibilities from Jason Terry
. He is known for his exceptional speed, earning comparisons to other NBA guards like the Phoenix Suns
' Leandro Barbosa
and his good friend, the Miami Heat
's Dwyane Wade
. He ended the year with averages of 9.9 ppg and 3.2 apg. He improved his jump-shot and his ability to split defenses and get to the rim. Unfortunately, he sustained a leg injury midway through the year and missed most of the rest of the regular season. Harris returned for the playoffs
and played a huge role in toppling the Mavericks' longtime rivals, the San Antonio Spurs
. The Spurs had dominated the Mavs in recent playoff history, ending their playoff runs in 6 games in the 2003 Playoffs
and 5 games in the 2001 Playoffs
. Devin Harris and the Mavericks reached the 2006 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat 4 games to 2.
In the 2006–07 season, Harris averaged 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. After becoming the starting point guard for the Mavericks in the 2006–07 season, he helped lead the Mavericks to a team record of 67 wins in the regular season only to be upset by the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors
in the 2007 Playoffs
. Halfway through the 2007–08 season, Harris was averaging career highs with 14.4 points per game and 5.4 assists per game. He was named a co-captain in 2007–08 along with Dirk Nowitzki
.
On February 19, 2008, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets
with Keith Van Horn
, Trenton Hassell
, DeSagana Diop
, Maurice Ager
, $3 million cash and two first-round draft picks (2008, 2010) in exchange for Jason Kidd
, Malik Allen
, and Antoine Wright
. In his Nets home game debut against the Milwaukee Bucks
, he posted 21 points and five assists in just under 21 minutes.Towards the end of the game he was treated to chants of "Dev-in Harris! Dev-in Harris!", and the first 5,000 attendees received Harris T-shirts in the Nets' next home game versus the San Antonio Spurs
. After New Jersey missed the playoffs for the first time in 7 years, he expressed that he was not satisfied with the way he played toward the season's end and he said he would mainly need to work on his assertiveness on offense over the summer.
On November 7, 2008, Harris posted a career-high 38 points against All-Star Allen Iverson
, who was making his debut with the Detroit Pistons
. He later bettered that mark on November 30 with 47 points, including scoring 21 in both the first half and the fourth quarter, against the Suns
in the Nets' first win in Phoenix
since 1993. On December 19, in Dallas
' first game at the Nets' Izod Center since the trade between the two teams, Harris put on a masterful performance posting 41 points and a season-high 13 assists in a blowout victory against his former team, while outplaying the player he was essentially traded for, Jason Kidd. Towards the end of the game, Nets fans were chanting "Thank you Cuban!" (Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban
was sitting courtside). On January 29, 2009 Harris was named a reserve for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game
. It was the first time Harris was named as an All-Star in his career. On February 23, 2009 in a game against the 76ers, Harris converted a half court buzzer beating 47-foot shot, known as "The Harris Heave," to win the game 98–96.
In a cost-cutting move, the Nets traded Vince Carter
on the same day of the 2009 NBA Draft
, leaving Harris to assume the role of team captain. Harris was out for large portions of the season with shoulder and ankle injuries, including the team's infamous 0–18 start. His personal play, stats, and talent around him were well below the previous year but he managed to bring his averages back up to just under 17 points per game and 6 assists per game. In order to reduce his risk of injury, Harris took part in a weight training program during the summer of 2010 at Nets' head coach (and Harris' former head coach in Dallas) Avery Johnson
's request. He managed to add 15 pounds of muscle and also worked on his defense with Tim Grover.
, 2 draft picks and $3,000,000 cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Deron Williams
.
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Dallas
| 76 || 19 || 15.4 || .429 || .336 || .757 || 1.3 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .2 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Dallas
| 56 || 4 || 22.8 || .469 || .238 || .716 || 2.2 || 3.2 || .9 || .3 || 9.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Dallas
| 80 || 61 || 26.0 || .492 || .280 || .824 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.2 || .3 || 10.2
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 39 || 39 || 30.4 || .483 || .357 || .821 || 2.3 || 5.3 || 1.4 || .1 || 14.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 25 || 22 || 33.5 || .438 || .320 || .829 || 3.3 || 6.5 || 1.4 || .3 || 15.4
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 69 || 69 || 36.1 || .438 || .291 || .820 || 3.3 || 6.9 || 1.6 || .2 || 21.3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 64 || 61 || 34.7 || .403 || .276 || .798 || 3.2 || 6.6 || 1.2 || .3 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 54 || 54 || 31.9 || .425 || .300 || .840 || 2.4 || 7.6 || 1.1 || .1 || 15.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Utah
| 17 || 16 || 31.2 || .413 || .357 || .811 || 2.4 || 5.4 || .8 || .1 || 15.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 480 || 345 || 28.2 || .441 || .305 || .806 || 2.5 || 5.0 || 1.2 || .2 || 13.3
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 17.0 || .500 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 6.0
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Dallas
| 9 || 0 || 8.9 || .438 || .333 || .667 || 1.2 || 1.2 || .4 || .1 || 2.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Dallas
| 23 || 15 || 24.3 || .480 || .000 || .703 || 1.7 || 2.2 || .8 || .1 || 9.4
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Dallas
| 6 || 6 || 27.2 || .492 || .300 || .737 || 2.0 || 5.0 || 1.0 || .2 || 13.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 38 || 21 || 21.1 || .480 || .208 || .706 || 1.6 || 2.4 || .7 || .1 || 8.3
with helping him improve his wardrobe so he could look "the part of an NBA star." Harris owns the Guinness World Record for "fastest man with a basketball," running the length of the court in 3.9 seconds. In 2009, Harris received the NBA's Community Assist Award for his work with his charitable foundation "34 Ways to Assist."
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. Harris was selected with the fifth pick in the 2004 NBA Draft
2004 NBA Draft
The 2004 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2004 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm . In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible...
by the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
.
Early life
Harris was born and raised in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
; the son of Terry and Julie Harris. Throughout high school, Harris was a superior athlete and took up basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
at Wauwatosa East High School
Wauwatosa East High School
Wauwatosa East High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school in the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It is part of the Wauwatosa School District. The school was originally known as Wauwatosa Senior High School until the opening of Wauwatosa West High School in September of 1961. The...
. He played volleyball for only one season, a season in which he gained all-conference honors, before he set that aside to focus on basketball. Harris was nagged by injuries after his sophomore year of high school and was unable to participate in the summer basketball camps and tournaments that are ever important in the recruiting process.
Harris exploded his senior season at Wauwatosa East, setting school scoring records through an undefeated regular season. Harris was named Wisconsin's "Mr. Basketball" for 2001, edging out Travis Diener
Travis Diener
Travis Lyle Diener is an American professional basketball player who used to play in the NBA. In August 2010, he was signed by Dinamo Sassari .-Biography:...
of Fond du Lac High School
Fond du Lac High School
Fond du Lac High School is a comprehensive public high school in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Fond du Lac High School was inaugurated in 2001, replacing the former Goodrich High School. Fondy High athletic teams are known as the Cardinals....
. Harris finally accepted an offer to play for Dick Bennett
Dick Bennett
Dick Bennett is an American college basketball coach who is best known for revitalizing the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program...
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. Bennett retired in the midst of the upcoming season and by the time Harris arrived on campus, Bo Ryan
Bo Ryan
William "Bo" Francis Ryan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the University of Wisconsin–Madison men's basketball team.-Playing career:...
was the head coach.
Harris' number 20 jersey was retired by Wauwatosa East at ceremonies held in 2007.
NCAA career
In Harris's freshman season, the 2001–2002 season, Harris was already a starter on a relatively unheralded team. The Badgers came into the season being predicted to finish as low as ninth in the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
(which had eleven teams at the time). On a team led by seniors Charlie Wills and Travon Davis, the Badgers won an unexpected Big Ten Championship (shared with three other teams: Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
).
Harris' sophomore season was his "breakout" year. Harris, along with senior Kirk Penney
Kirk Penney
Kirk Samuel Penney is a New Zealander professional basketball player.-University of Wisconsin :...
and fellow sophomore Mike Wilkinson
Mike Wilkinson
Michael Joseph "Mike" Wilkinson is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6 ft 8¼ in 245 lb. power forward.-Amateur career:...
, led the Badgers to their second consecutive Big Ten Championship, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. In the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, the Badgers reached the "Sweet 16". In the Sweet 16 game against the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Harris showcased his skill before a national audience, despite an eventual Badger loss.
The 2003–2004 season saw Harris establish himself as one of the top players in the nation. Harris was the leader on the team and was considered a "coach on the floor" by Bo Ryan
Bo Ryan
William "Bo" Francis Ryan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the University of Wisconsin–Madison men's basketball team.-Playing career:...
. He received Big Ten Player of the Year and the Silver Basketball award, and was named a Second Team All-American. Harris decided to leave college early after his junior year to play in the NBA; however, he is currently taking summer classes to get his degree in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Draft day
Days prior to the draft, the Washington WizardsWashington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
consummated a deal that involved the Wizards' 5th overall pick going to the Mavs along with Jerry Stackhouse
Jerry Stackhouse
Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American professional basketball player who plays both shooting guard and small forward. He most recently played for the Miami Heat. He is now an NBA TV analyst but remains as an eligible free agent....
and Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
in exchange for Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships...
. NBA rules prevented teams from trading draft picks for two consecutive years (in addition to trade kicker details in Laettner's contract) so the deal was momentarily delayed until the actual draft in which Washington selected Harris and subsequently traded him to the Mavericks to complete the deal. The Mavs' plan was to bring Harris along slowly under the tutelage of all-star point guard Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
but Nash ended up leaving the team through free agency and signing with the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
.
Dallas Mavericks
In Harris' rookie season, he averaged 5.7 ppg and 2.2 apg, but put up a PERPlayer Efficiency Rating
The Player Efficiency Rating is ESPN Insider writer John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates every player's statistical performance.-Introduction:PER...
of 14.69. He ranked 2nd in the NBA in steals per 48 minutes at 3.15 (behind Larry Hughes
Larry Hughes
Larry Darnell Hughes is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Charlotte Bobcats. He is a and shooting guard. Hughes attended Saint Louis University and was the eight pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers...
), and in November 2004 was named the Rookie of the Month. Although he started for much of the early portion of the season, his playing time dwindled as the season progressed.
Harris showed marked improvement in the early stages of the 2005–06 NBA season, especially when it came to scoring; as a result, his minutes increased and he took more ball-handling responsibilities from Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
. He is known for his exceptional speed, earning comparisons to other NBA guards like the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
' Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Barbosa
Leandro Mateus Barbosa is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with Flamengo Basketball in Brazil. He is also under contract with the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, and is expected to return to that team once the 2011 NBA lockout ends...
and his good friend, the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
's Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
. He ended the year with averages of 9.9 ppg and 3.2 apg. He improved his jump-shot and his ability to split defenses and get to the rim. Unfortunately, he sustained a leg injury midway through the year and missed most of the rest of the regular season. Harris returned for the playoffs
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
and played a huge role in toppling the Mavericks' longtime rivals, the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. The Spurs had dominated the Mavs in recent playoff history, ending their playoff runs in 6 games in the 2003 Playoffs
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
and 5 games in the 2001 Playoffs
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
. Devin Harris and the Mavericks reached the 2006 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat 4 games to 2.
In the 2006–07 season, Harris averaged 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. After becoming the starting point guard for the Mavericks in the 2006–07 season, he helped lead the Mavericks to a team record of 67 wins in the regular season only to be upset by the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 2007 Playoffs
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
. Halfway through the 2007–08 season, Harris was averaging career highs with 14.4 points per game and 5.4 assists per game. He was named a co-captain in 2007–08 along with Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
.
New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with Keith Van Horn
Keith Van Horn
Keith Adam Van Horn is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward graduated from Diamond Bar High School in Diamond Bar, California and attended the University of Utah where he went on to be a consensus First Team All-American in 1997...
, Trenton Hassell
Trenton Hassell
Trenton Lavar Hassell is an American professional basketball player who formerly played in the NBA. He earned a reputation for being one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders...
, DeSagana Diop
DeSagana Diop
DeSagana N'gagne Diop is a Senegalese professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. Standing seven feet tall and weighing 280 lbs...
, Maurice Ager
Maurice Ager
Maurice Darnell Ager is an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans from 2002 until 2006...
, $3 million cash and two first-round draft picks (2008, 2010) in exchange for Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
, Malik Allen
Malik Allen
Malik Omar Allen is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic.After four years at Villanova University Allen went undrafted in the 2000 NBA Draft. He began his career in the ABA with the San Diego Wildfire and in the International Basketball League with...
, and Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright
Antoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
. In his Nets home game debut against the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, he posted 21 points and five assists in just under 21 minutes.Towards the end of the game he was treated to chants of "Dev-in Harris! Dev-in Harris!", and the first 5,000 attendees received Harris T-shirts in the Nets' next home game versus the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. After New Jersey missed the playoffs for the first time in 7 years, he expressed that he was not satisfied with the way he played toward the season's end and he said he would mainly need to work on his assertiveness on offense over the summer.
On November 7, 2008, Harris posted a career-high 38 points against All-Star Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
, who was making his debut with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. He later bettered that mark on November 30 with 47 points, including scoring 21 in both the first half and the fourth quarter, against the Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the Nets' first win in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
since 1993. On December 19, in Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
' first game at the Nets' Izod Center since the trade between the two teams, Harris put on a masterful performance posting 41 points and a season-high 13 assists in a blowout victory against his former team, while outplaying the player he was essentially traded for, Jason Kidd. Towards the end of the game, Nets fans were chanting "Thank you Cuban!" (Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
was sitting courtside). On January 29, 2009 Harris was named a reserve for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game
2009 NBA All-Star Game
The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on February 15, 2009 at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Phoenix Suns. The game was the 58th edition of the National Basketball Association All-Star Game and was played during the 2008–09 NBA season...
. It was the first time Harris was named as an All-Star in his career. On February 23, 2009 in a game against the 76ers, Harris converted a half court buzzer beating 47-foot shot, known as "The Harris Heave," to win the game 98–96.
In a cost-cutting move, the Nets traded Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
on the same day of the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, leaving Harris to assume the role of team captain. Harris was out for large portions of the season with shoulder and ankle injuries, including the team's infamous 0–18 start. His personal play, stats, and talent around him were well below the previous year but he managed to bring his averages back up to just under 17 points per game and 6 assists per game. In order to reduce his risk of injury, Harris took part in a weight training program during the summer of 2010 at Nets' head coach (and Harris' former head coach in Dallas) Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
's request. He managed to add 15 pounds of muscle and also worked on his defense with Tim Grover.
Utah Jazz
On February 23, 2011, Harris was traded along with rookie Derrick FavorsDerrick Favors
Derrick Bernard Favors is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He is a power forward who played for Georgia Tech. On June 24, 2010, he was drafted 3rd overall by the New Jersey Nets of the NBA....
, 2 draft picks and $3,000,000 cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 76 || 19 || 15.4 || .429 || .336 || .757 || 1.3 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .2 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Dallas
| 56 || 4 || 22.8 || .469 || .238 || .716 || 2.2 || 3.2 || .9 || .3 || 9.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Dallas
| 80 || 61 || 26.0 || .492 || .280 || .824 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.2 || .3 || 10.2
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 39 || 39 || 30.4 || .483 || .357 || .821 || 2.3 || 5.3 || 1.4 || .1 || 14.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 25 || 22 || 33.5 || .438 || .320 || .829 || 3.3 || 6.5 || 1.4 || .3 || 15.4
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 69 || 69 || 36.1 || .438 || .291 || .820 || 3.3 || 6.9 || 1.6 || .2 || 21.3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | New Jersey
| 64 || 61 || 34.7 || .403 || .276 || .798 || 3.2 || 6.6 || 1.2 || .3 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 54 || 54 || 31.9 || .425 || .300 || .840 || 2.4 || 7.6 || 1.1 || .1 || 15.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Utah
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 17 || 16 || 31.2 || .413 || .357 || .811 || 2.4 || 5.4 || .8 || .1 || 15.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 480 || 345 || 28.2 || .441 || .305 || .806 || 2.5 || 5.0 || 1.2 || .2 || 13.3
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 17.0 || .500 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 6.0
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2004–05
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 9 || 0 || 8.9 || .438 || .333 || .667 || 1.2 || 1.2 || .4 || .1 || 2.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Dallas
| 23 || 15 || 24.3 || .480 || .000 || .703 || 1.7 || 2.2 || .8 || .1 || 9.4
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | Dallas
| 6 || 6 || 27.2 || .492 || .300 || .737 || 2.0 || 5.0 || 1.0 || .2 || 13.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 38 || 21 || 21.1 || .480 || .208 || .706 || 1.6 || 2.4 || .7 || .1 || 8.3
Personal
Harris reportedly owns over 400 pairs of sneakers. He credits former teammate Keyon DoolingKeyon Dooling
Keyon Latwae Dooling is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.-Basketball career:...
with helping him improve his wardrobe so he could look "the part of an NBA star." Harris owns the Guinness World Record for "fastest man with a basketball," running the length of the court in 3.9 seconds. In 2009, Harris received the NBA's Community Assist Award for his work with his charitable foundation "34 Ways to Assist."