Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Charlotte Hornets

By Joseph Nation

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 6: Treveon Graham #21 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 6, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 6: Treveon Graham #21 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 6, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – MARCH 27: Devin Harris #34 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball during the first half of an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – MARCH 27: Devin Harris #34 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball during the first half of an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

3. Devin Harris

Devin Harris is coming off of a small bounceback season, having posted his best scoring season and best efficiency out of his past three campaigns. While he did just finish his age -34 season, he provided solid enough minutes — the Mavericks were 12.9 points per 100 possession better with Harris on the court — that the tanking Mavericks that they were forced to jettison him at the trade deadline. They sent him to Denver, where he filled in as the backup point guard behind Jamal Murray. And while his on-off splits cratered while playing for Denver to a less appealing -2.1 points per 100 possession, that can be attributed to Mason Plumlee at some level.

While Harris’s 3-point shot comes and goes, he has been, throughout his career, a solid scorer and distributor, and he should be able to keep the offense moving fluidly, something that Michael Carter-Williams struggled with last year. And while he likely won’t be able to match Carter-Williams’s individual defensive ability, he should at least be able to hold his own better than other potential veteran backup point guard options, like Jameer Nelson. Harris, in Dallas, frequently played next to J.J. Barea, Yogi Ferrell, and Seth Curry, three guards shorter than Malik Monk, and they didn’t face significant defensive issues. Overall, Harris is likely to be the best choice from a pure basketball standpoint available to the Hornets to pair in the back-court out of likely veteran minimum options.

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