Joe Harris’s NBA journey is one of remarkable development. Initially overlooked out of Virginia, where he was a second-round pick with doubts about his athleticism, Harris was traded by the Cavaliers and waived by the Magic during his second season. However, once he joined the Brooklyn Nets, he blossomed into one of the league’s premier shooters, even besting Stephen Curry in the All-Star Saturday 3-Point Contest.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harris has now decided to retire from basketball. He signed with Brooklyn in 2016, during a period when GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson were focused on rebuilding the struggling franchise. Under Atkinson’s guidance, Harris rapidly developed into one of the NBA’s most feared shooters. At his peak from 2018 to 2021, he averaged at least 13.7 points per game and shot 45.8% from beyond the arc, twice leading the league in 3-point shooting percentage. Harris also claimed victory in the 3-Point Contest at the 2019 All-Star Game.
However, his career took a downturn early in the 2021-22 season after suffering a severe ankle injury, which affected his movement and shooting ability. The Nets eventually traded him to Detroit before last season in a salary cap move.
Over his 10-year career, Harris averaged 10.3 points per game and shot 43.6% from 3-point range, ranking as the fifth-best percentage in NBA history.