During the NBA’s process of developing a plan to resume the 2019-20 season, multiple concerns were brought to the forefront. One centered around players who were set for big paydays in the offseason — whether it be as a restricted or unrestricted free agent.
Among those who are up for new contracts at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season is Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris. Another is the Washington Wizards’ 3-point threat, Davis Bertans.
Bertans isn’t participating in the Orlando restart, having dealt with two ACL injuries in the past, whereas Harris is playing — and he told reporters on a Zoom call Thursday that was never in doubt, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News:
It wasn’t like it was a difficult decision for me. I’m healthy. I’m going to play and finish out the season. It’s obviously a different situation and circumstance given everything that’s going on and the time off that we’ve had.
The way that I look at it is like, ‘Alright, we have eight games left. This is the equivalent of Game 74 in the regular season.’ I wouldn’t take the last eight games off of the season just to get ready for free agency, you know? I’ve been lucky to be in Brooklyn the whole time, where we’re working out relatively hard, where it’s not going to be such a shock to the body to turn around and start ramping things up in Orlando and be ready for some of these games.
Given the Nets are without Kevin Durant (right Achilles), Kyrie Irving (right shoulder), Nic Claxton (left shoulder), Wilson Chandler (elected to opt-out) and DeAndre Jordan (elected to opt-out after testing positive for COVID-19) — and potentially Spencer Dinwiddie (tested positive for COVID-19) — Brooklyn needs Harris now more than ever.
And for the sharpshooter, it’s a great opportunity to prove he’s worth a major investment:
At the end of the day, I didn’t really even think twice about it, so it wasn’t like I was really having discussions a lot. As long as I was healthy and feeling comfortable with the situation I’m going to go down and play.