Former Michigan State shooting guard Gary Harris was recently eliminated from the NBA Playoffs in the first round with the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, falling to the defending champion Boston Celtics in five games. Harris struggled heavily in his 12th NBA season.
Harris averaged a career-low in points at just 3.0 per game this season on 38.3%, his lowest shooting percentage since 2021. He pulled down just 1.3 rebounds and just 14.8 minutes per contest, the lowest since his rookie season with the Denver Nuggets at 1.2 rebounds and 13.1 minutes.
In the five playoff games that the Magic played this season, Harris played in all of them, averaging 1.4 points, scoring seven total points on a combined 3-for-8 from the field. He averaged 16.4 minutes, above his regular-season average, but was unable to produce or get many shots off when playing.
Since the 2022 season, when Harris averaged 11.1 points, his scoring average has gradually plummeted. It was difficult for him to find a productive role this season for a fringe playoff team that had to win a play-in tournament game to even make the postseason.
Harris signed a two-year deal with the Magic that would keep him with the organization through the 2025-26 season with a club option for next year. That could allow Orlando to choose not to extend his contract for the upcoming season, making him a free agent.
With how Harris performed this season, it would be hard to argue that the Magic would pick up the club option and extend him for one more season. If that were to occur, he will likely be seeking a new team for next season or the end of his NBA career.
If Harris is able to improve his jump shot and find a new team that may have a more productive role, his future is still bright. Currently 30 years old, the former Spartan likely has just a few years remaining, as he has already spent a dozen years in the league.
It felt like just yesterday, Harris was averaging 16.5 points and winning a Big Ten Tournament title alongside the late great Adreian Payne, Keith Appling, Matt Costello, Travis Trice, and many others from the 2013-’14 team. Time flies, and Harris has certainly gone through quite a journey as a player.
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