According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver Nuggets' third-year shooting guard Gary Harris has agreed to a contract extension of $84 million over four years. Harris is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The deal will take Gary Harris off the market for the 2018 NBA free agency period. If the deal stands, Harris will be the second highest paid player in the Denver Nuggets' lineup behind Paul Millsap who they signed to a $90 million deal over three years this past offseason.
Gary Harris' journey in the NBA
Gary Harris was drafted 19th overall by the Chicago Bulls during the 2014 NBA Draft out of Michigan State University before he was traded to the Denver Nuggets.
Harris, Josef Nurkic, and a 2015 second-round draft pick (which was used to pick up Sir ‘Dominic Pointer) were traded in exchange for Doug McDermott and Anthony Randolph.
After averaging just over three points per game in his rookie season, Gary Harris has shown a steady improvement in his production as his playing years increased. During the 2016-2017 Nba Season, Harris averaged 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 31.3 minutes of action. He also shot 50.2 percent from the field, 42.0 percent from three, and 77.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Denver Nuggets' future
If Gary Harris continues his improvement, the Denver Nuggets' future is looking bright with Harris, Jamal Murray, and Nikola Jokic at the helm.
After a disappointing 40-42 record during the 2016-2017 NBA season wherein they finished ninth in the Western Conference and just barely missed the playoffs, the Denver Nuggets look to bounce back and have a better 2017-2018 NBA season.
Rookie guard Jamal Murray was part of the 2016-17 All-Rookie Second Team. He also had a stellar rookie season averaging 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
Second-year center Nikola Jokic is coming off his best season so far, where he averaged 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He was also part of the 2015-16 All-Rookie First Team.
With Gary Harris and Jamal Murray in the backcourt and Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap in the frontcourt, the Denver Nuggets are surely going in the right direction as they look to make their first playoff appearance since 2013.
The Denver Nuggets have produced a few good results during the 2017 preseason, where they defeated the defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers before losing to the San Antonio Spurs.
