June 29, 2018

Aaron Harrison
SG - 6’6, 218lbs - 23 years old - 3 years of experience

As a part of the egregious season-ending tank, Harrison earned a late call-up, was given the opportunity to play a lot of consequence-free minutes, and yet was ineffective in them. This was not exactly a MarShon Brooks-esque call-up, but Harrison played a lot anyway. He even played all 48 minutes in the season closer against Phoenix. It would be fair to say (with respect) that the Mavericks were not trying to win that one. (And they didn’t.)

Prior to the call-up, Harrison had been playing in the G-League with the Reno Bighorns. For them, he had averaged 18.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in only 26.3 minutes, shooting 42.7% from three-point range on six and a half attempts per game. Since leaving Kentucky - indeed, while also still at Kentucky - Harrison has never quite cemented what type of a player he was and was going to be. It seems the answer now is, he’s going to be a shooter.

This is fine if he can carry it over to the NBA level and also defend the off-guard position adequately. In parts of three NBA seasons, however, that has not happened. It is true that he has not played much in those three part-seasons - 354 minutes, to be precise - and that just as his shot has developed over the years, so has his defence. It is more engaged and less mistake prone.

Now, he needs to be able to do those things within the pace of an NBA game.

Player Plan: Expiring minimum salary contract. QO eligible but there is no need for that. Would not bring back unless he really stood out this summer.

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