Devin Harris

1.1. Childhood and High School

Devin Lamar Harris was born on February 27, 1983, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Terry and Julie Harris. During his time at Wauwatosa East High School, Harris was a gifted athlete, participating in both basketball and volleyball. He played volleyball for one season, earning all-conference honors, before dedicating his focus entirely to basketball. Despite being hampered by injuries after his sophomore year, which prevented him from attending crucial summer basketball camps and tournaments for recruiting, Harris had a remarkable senior season in 2001. That year, he set school scoring records and led Wauwatosa East to an undefeated regular season. His outstanding performance earned him the title of Wisconsin's "Mr. Basketball" for 2001, an honor he secured over Travis Diener. Harris eventually committed to play for Dick Bennett at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. However, Bennett retired during the upcoming season, and by the time Harris arrived on campus, Bo Ryan had taken over as head coach. In recognition of his high school achievements, Wauwatosa East retired Harris's number 20 jersey in ceremonies held in 2007.

1.2. College Career

Harris's college basketball career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was marked by significant team success and individual accolades. In his freshman season (2001-02), Harris was a starter on a team that was initially underestimated, predicted to finish as low as ninth in the Big Ten Conference. Despite these low expectations, the Badgers, led by seniors Charlie Wills and Travon Davis, unexpectedly secured a Big Ten Championship, sharing the title with three other teams: Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio State.

His sophomore season was a breakout year. Alongside senior Kirk Penney and fellow sophomore Mike Wilkinson, Harris led the Badgers to their second consecutive Big Ten Championship. In the NCAA tournament, Wisconsin advanced to the "Sweet 16." In their Sweet 16 game against the Kentucky, Harris showcased his skills on a national stage, even though the Badgers ultimately lost the game.

The 2003-04 season saw Harris solidify his reputation as one of the top players in the nation. He became the team's primary leader, with coach Bo Ryan considering him a "coach on the floor." Harris received numerous awards for his performance, including the Big Ten Player of the Year, the 2004 Big Ten men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, and the Silver Basketball award. He was also named a Second Team All-American. Following his successful junior year, Harris decided to leave college early to enter the NBA.

2.1. NBA Draft and Early Career

Days before the 2004 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks reached an agreement for a trade. This deal involved the Wizards' 5th overall pick, along with players Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner, being sent to the Mavericks in exchange for Antawn Jamison. Due to specific NBA rules concerning trading draft picks for consecutive years and details within Laettner's contract, the trade was temporarily delayed. Consequently, during the draft, Washington officially selected Harris with the 5th overall pick and then immediately traded him to the Mavericks to finalize the agreed-upon deal. The Mavericks' initial plan was to gradually integrate Harris into the team under the mentorship of then-All-Star point guard Steve Nash. However, Nash subsequently left the team via free agency to sign with the Phoenix Suns, accelerating Harris's role.

In his rookie season (2004-05), Harris averaged 5.7 points and 2.2 assists per game, with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 14.69. He ranked second in the NBA in steals per 48 minutes (3.15), trailing only Larry Hughes, and was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in November 2004. Despite starting for a significant portion of the early season, his playing time decreased as the season progressed.

2.2. Dallas Mavericks (2004-2008)

Harris demonstrated significant improvement in the early stages of the 2005-06 NBA season, particularly in his scoring ability, leading to an increase in his playing minutes and greater ball-handling responsibilities from Jason Terry. He became renowned for his exceptional speed, drawing comparisons to other fast NBA guards like the Phoenix Suns' Leandro Barbosa and his close friend, the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade. He concluded the season averaging 9.9 points and 3.2 assists per game, having improved his jump-shot and his skill at driving to the basket. Midway through the season, Harris sustained a leg injury that caused him to miss most of the remaining regular season games. However, he returned for the 2006 NBA playoffs and played a crucial role in the Mavericks' triumph over their long-standing rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, a team that had previously dominated the Mavericks in playoff history, ending their runs in 2001 and 2003. Devin Harris and the Mavericks advanced to the 2006 NBA Finals, where they ultimately lost to the Miami Heat in six games.

In the 2006-07 NBA season, Harris averaged 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. After becoming the starting point guard for the Mavericks, he contributed to the team achieving a franchise-record 67 regular season wins. Despite this stellar regular season, the Mavericks suffered a surprising first-round upset by the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors in the 2007 NBA playoffs. By the midpoint of the 2007-08 NBA season, Harris was averaging career highs of 14.4 points and 5.4 assists per game. In 2007-08, he was also named a co-captain alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

2.3. New Jersey Nets (2008-2011)

On February 19, 2008, Devin Harris was traded to the New Jersey Nets. The trade involved Harris, Keith Van Horn, Trenton Hassell, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, 3.00 M USD in cash, and two first-round draft picks (2008 and 2010) being sent to the Nets in exchange for Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright. In his home debut with the Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris recorded 21 points and five assists in just under 21 minutes. Towards the end of the game, fans enthusiastically chanted "Dev-in Harris! Dev-in Harris!", and the first 5,000 attendees at the Nets' subsequent home game against the San Antonio Spurs received Harris T-shirts. After New Jersey missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years, Harris expressed dissatisfaction with his performance towards the season's end, vowing to improve his assertiveness on offense during the summer.

On November 7, 2008, Harris achieved a career-high 38 points against All-Star Allen Iverson, who was making his debut with the Detroit Pistons. He surpassed this mark on November 30, scoring 47 points against the Phoenix Suns, including 21 points in both the first half and the fourth quarter, leading to the Nets' first victory in Phoenix since 1993. On December 19, in the Dallas's first game at the Nets' Izod Center since the trade, Harris delivered a masterful performance, posting 41 points and a season-high 13 assists in a dominant victory against his former team, notably outplaying Jason Kidd. Near the game's conclusion, Nets fans chanted "Thank you Cuban!" (referencing Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban, who was courtside). On January 29, 2009, Harris was named a reserve for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, marking his sole All-Star selection during his career. On February 23, 2009, in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris executed a spectacular half-court buzzer-beating 47-foot shot, famously dubbed "the Harris Heave," to secure a 98-96 victory.

In a move aimed at reducing costs, the Nets traded Vince Carter on the day of the 2009 NBA draft, which led to Harris assuming the role of team captain. During the 2009-10 NBA season, Harris missed significant portions due to shoulder and ankle injuries, a period that included the team's infamous 0-18 start. Although his personal play, statistics, and the talent level of his teammates were lower than the previous year, he managed to bring his averages back up to just under 17 points and 6 assists per game. To mitigate future injury risks, Harris participated in a weight training program during the summer of 2010 at the request of Nets' head coach Avery Johnson, who was also his former coach in Dallas. He gained 15 lb ^{(15 lb)} of muscle and also focused on improving his defensive skills with trainer Tim Grover.

2.4. Utah Jazz (2011-2012)

On February 23, 2011, Harris was part of a major trade, moving along with rookie Derrick Favors, two draft picks, and 3.00 M USD in cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Harris spent a season and a half with the Jazz.

2.5. Atlanta Hawks (2012-2013)

On July 11, 2012, Harris was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Marvin Williams. He played one season for the Hawks.

2.6. Return to Dallas (2013-2018)

In early July 2013, reports widely indicated that Harris would return to his original team, the Dallas Mavericks. However, the deal was subsequently rescinded after it was discovered that Harris required surgery for a toe injury. Despite these injury concerns, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban publicly expressed his determination to reunite with Harris, stating that he would return to the team under a restructured agreement. On July 31, Harris officially re-signed with the Mavericks on a one-year, 1.30 M USD contract.

On January 18, 2014, Harris made his season debut, scoring six points in 17 minutes off the bench in the Mavericks' 127-111 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He performed effectively as a key bench player for the Mavericks during the latter half of the 2013-14 NBA season, achieving a season-high 20 points on March 9 in a victory over the Indiana Pacers. His contributions off the bench were particularly notable during the Mavericks' first-round playoff series loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where he scored over 17 points in three of the seven games.

On July 17, 2014, Harris re-signed with the Mavericks, agreeing to a four-year, 16.50 M USD contract. He entered the 2014-15 NBA season as a seasoned veteran and was notably healthier than he had been the previous year, which was reflected in his performance. He missed only six games throughout the season, consistently providing energy and offensive spark off the bench behind Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis. In the team's fourth-to-last game of the season on April 10, Harris scored a season-high 21 points against the Denver Nuggets. He participated in four of the Mavericks' five first-round playoff games against the Houston Rockets. However, his strong playoff form from 2014 did not carry over to 2015, as he scored in double figures in only one game and shot 8-for-23 from the field during the 4-1 series loss.

Harris played in 40 of the first 46 games of the 2015-16 NBA season, averaging 7.4 points per game off the bench. A left big toe strain suffered in late January forced him to miss 10 games, but he returned to the lineup on February 21 against the Philadelphia 76ers. On October 26, 2016, Harris was sidelined for the initial three weeks of the 2016-17 NBA season due to a sprained right big toe sustained during the preseason, requiring him to wear a walking boot. He eventually made his season debut on November 30, 2016, against the San Antonio Spurs, after missing the first 16 games.

2.7. Denver Nuggets (2018)

On February 8, 2018, Harris was acquired by the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team trade involving the Mavericks and the New York Knicks. In this deal, Doug McDermott was sent to the Mavericks, and Emmanuel Mudiay was sent to the Knicks. On March 6, 2018, in a 118-107 loss to the Mavericks, Harris achieved a significant career milestone by reaching 10,000 points.

2.8. Third Stint with Dallas and Retirement (2018-2019)

On August 8, 2018, Harris signed with the Dallas Mavericks, marking his third tenure with the franchise. Early in the 2018-19 NBA season, he missed 10 games due to a left hamstring strain. On November 28, Harris led the Mavericks in scoring, along with Luka Dončić, both contributing a season-high 20 points in a 128-108 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Harris's final NBA game was played on April 10, 2019, which was a 94-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. In his last appearance as a starting point guard for the Mavericks, Harris recorded 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists.

6.1. Regular Season

6.2. Playoffs