With the Orlando Magic firmly entrenched in a rebuilding phase, the franchise is looking to find out which players on their roster are cornerstones for the future. In this day and age in the NBA, it is nice to have one of the more reliable shooting guards in the league to potentially build around, and that evaluation process is well underway with Gary Harris.
The team is hoping to find out how(or if) all their guards, including Harris, Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, R.J Hampton, and Jalen Suggs fit. While an impressive line statistically can help their causes, they are using more than just numbers to make this decision. Harris is currently 27 years old, and could be a contributor in Orlando, but is also auditioning for the other 29 teams in the NBA.
Gary Harris – Childhood
Gary Harris was born to parents Gary Harris Sr. and Joy Harris. While they did spend some time in Nashville during Harris’ childhood, he spent the majority of his childhood in Fishers, Indiana. Usually, the saying goes “like father, like son” but in this case, Gary followed in his mom’s footsteps growing up. Joy Harris was a basketball player at Purdue University and made it to the WNBA. She appeared in 29 games for the Detroit Shock in the 2000 season, averaging nine minutes per contest.
Ever since he was a young boy, Gary wanted to follow in his mom’s footsteps to become a professional basketball player. He was really focused on his goal and had a poster in his room that reminded him of the level of work it would take to achieve it. The banner said, “What did you do today that will get you into the NBA?”. The image of this poster came back into the public consciousness on NBA Draft night, which was the culmination of a lifetime of hard work.
Where did Gary Harris go to high school?
While Harris had a solid athletic profile heading into high school, his ability to play the game right away with minimal mistakes was what those around him noticed. His high school coach at Hamilton Southeastern, Brian Satterfield, recalled that Harris was nominated as the most fundamentally sound player on the team in an informal team poll as a freshman.
His offense was certainly up to par, but Satterfield appreciated Harris’ willingness to embrace challenges defensively, whether it was in the post or on the perimeter. Perhaps that desire to welcome contact wasn’t so surprising, considering that Harris was also a standout football player at HSE. He was a talented wide receiver for the program, but when push came to shove, Harris always knew that he wanted to focus on basketball long-term.
Playing in a state rich with basketball tradition, Harris added another chapter to Indiana’s storied hoops lore. From his sophomore to his senior season, he averaged 19.8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 2.9 assists per game. To add to those well-rounded statS, he punctuated it by averaging four steals per contest as a senior. Simply put, Harris had a nose for the basketball, and opposing ballhandlers were in trouble if they couldn’t protect the rock.
Harris had a senior year to remember to cap off a tremendous high school career. He made an iconic shot in the first round of the sectional playoffs; a halfcourt buzzer-beater to win the game. He finished the game with 35 points and made enormous plays down the stretch of that game. He was also named Mr. Basketball for the state of Indiana that year, joining legends before him from the state such as Eric Gordon, Glenn Robinson, and Steve Alford.
Where did Gary Harris go to college?
Starring for a high school in the middle of Big Ten country is a pretty opportune location to be seen by some influential college basketball programs. There were predictable storylines about Harris staying close to home and playing his college ball at the University of Indiana. He recalled being courted by then Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean and was interested in the possibility of donning the red and white for IU. However, he ultimately ended up deciding to play for Big Ten rival Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo.
There wasn’t much of a transitional period for Harris, as Izzo decided to start the prized freshman immediately when the Spartans’ season began. The former Indiana Mr. Basketball did not disappoint, averaging nearly 15 points per game in his first seven games at Michigan State against non-conference competition.
He was about as reliable as it got and formed a potent combination with teammates like Adreian Payne and future NBA player Denzel Valentine. They made it to the Sweet 16 in Harris’ first season, before bowing out to Duke. Harris was the best Big Ten freshman in 2012-2013 and took home that honor in his inaugural season in East Lansing.
Harris and the team would take a step forward in his sophomore season. His scoring average would increase to over 16 points per game, and he shot 81 percent from the free-throw line. Harris also became more of a factor on the glass and as a playmaker. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Big Ten Team for the 2013-2014 season. The Spartans defeated the number one seed Virginia Cavaliers in that year’s NCAA Tournament but fell to the University of Connecticut in the Elite 8.
Gary Harris – Denver Nuggets
As an NBA prospect coming out of college, Harris didn’t have the upside that some of the other players had. But he had the advantage of playing in high profile, high-intensity games, at a program that is extremely well respected in league circles.
Some thought his winning pedigree would translate into him being selected in the lottery of the 2014 NBA Draft, but he was available at number 19. The Chicago Bulls took the former Spartans guard but traded him that night to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Doug McDermott and Anthony Randolph.
His career in the NBA did not exactly get off to a flying start. In the Nuggets’ first fifteen regular-season games of the 2014-2015 season, Harris was either inactive or did not get on the court for twelve of them. He did end up playing in 55 games in his rookie year but was not a major factor for a Denver team that finished 30-52.
However, his second season in Denver provided him with the opportunity he needed to get his career off of the ground. The organization hired head coach Mike Malone, and he had a lot of confidence in Harris’ abilities. His scoring average went up nearly nine points that year. Harris became a much more adept shooter from the outside and was displaying a lot of skill moving without the ball.
As the Nuggets started to trend in a positive direction, Harris became an integral part of Denver’s team, along with rising stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. The franchise rewarded him with a four-year, $84 million extension ahead of commencing with the 2018-2019 season. Denver gave him the extension in 2017, and Harris reaffirmed Denver’s faith by averaging 17 points per game in ’17-’18.
Gary Harris – Orlando Magic
While Harris’ scoring production reverted back to what had become customary, his intangibles were still very important to the Nuggets. However, his contract was probably a bit inflated for the type of output he was producing statistically.
Additionally, Michael Porter Jr. was drafted as a very high upside player, and the organization had thoughts about extending him with a handsome contract(which they eventually did). As a result, Harris’ contract would be discussed nearly as often as his play, and when that happens, a transaction is not usually far behind. He was traded to the Orlando Magic in March 2021 for Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark.
So far in his year and a half tenure in Orlando, he’s brought a similar level of consistency to a rebuilding franchise. This season, he’s been splitting time with the first team and the second team as first-year head coach Jamahl Mosley has experimented with several rotations.
Gary Harris – NBA Future
This is the final year of the extension Harris signed when he was with the Nuggets, so he is set to be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. It seems unlikely that he’ll be returned to Orlando, as the franchise seems intent on bringing along their younger players. Harris is still just 27 years old and will be an attractive pickup for a team looking to solidify its guard rotation. At this juncture, it seems more likely that a playoff team would be more interested in his services than a rebuilding one.
