clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Magic trades: Tobias Harris joins Orlando's young core

The former Volunteer figures to be a key piece for the Magic's rebuild.

Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris
Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

The Orlando Magic traded J.J. Redick, Ish Smith and Gustavo Ayon to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, acquiring Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb, and Beno Udrih in return. Orlando Pinstriped Post assesses each player the Magic obtained.

Harris is the big prize of the four players Orlando acquired at the trading deadline. Lamb is a prospect, while Udrih and Hakim Warrick, acquired from Charlotte for Josh McRoberts, have expiring contracts and aren't likely to have a big role with the team going forward.

But Harris is different. The 19th overall pick in the 2011 Draft figures to play a big role in Orlando's rebuilding effort and will likely see big minutes as the 2012/13 season wears on and in future seasons.

The playing time is big for Harris, who's averaged just 4.7 minutes per game in nine appearances since the calendar flipped to 2013. He started in his first 14 appearances for the Bucks and scored in double-figures six times, but his role diminished as Scott Skiles changed his playing rotations. That lack of playing time translated when Jim Boylan took over for Skiles. Harris averaged just 5.3 minutes per game after Boylan replaced Skiles, the former Magic point guard.

In his lone season at Tennessee, Harris averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, shooting 46 percent from the floor. In his NBA career, the 6-foot-8 small forward has posted per-game averages of 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 11.5 minutes per game, shooting 46.5 percent from the field.

There's no doubt that Harris can play, but he didn't have a role with Milwaukee. In Orlando, he'll jockey with Maurice Harkless for minutes in 2012/13 and going forward. He's similar to the St. John's product in that he doesn't have much shooting range, instead doing most of his damage in the paint. At the NBA level, Harris has taken 60 percent of his shots within the restricted area and has converted 52 percent of them. If he improves as a finisher and adds a jumper--be it a face-up two-pointer or a three--then he'll be a dangerous offensive player. As it is, he's fairly reliable away from the ball as a cutter (8-of-11 shooting in 2012/13, according to Synergy Sports) and in transition (11-of-15, also per Synergy).

In other areas, Harris doesn't shine. He's not much of a passer or rebounder, and he doesn't grade out as a plus defender either. But he's also only 20, with two years of team control remaining after 2012/13. The Magic can invest in his development and move forward with him, Harkless, Andrew Nicholson, and Nik Vučević as their frontcourt of the future.

Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We also invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.