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Jalen Harris is a young guard who was drafted into the NBA back in 2020. His basketball career has been somewhat unorthodox thanks to the actions he has committed off the court.
With that being said, let's take a deeper look at his background.
Who is Jalen Harris?
Before going to the pro leagues, Jalen Harris had a successful college basketball run. He played for two years at Louisiana Tech, where he averaged 20.7 points, 3 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. In his final year in college, where he played for the Nevada Wolf Pack, Harris' stats improved dramatically when he averaged 26.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Despite averaging decent figures, Harris wasn't a top prospect in the NBA. He entered the 2020 NBA draft where he was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the second round as the 59th pick.
During his brief rookie season, according to Basketball Reference, Harris averaged 7.4 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 13 games. Unfortunately for him, his career took a drastic turn after violating the NBA's wellness policy.
After testing positive for a substance that is prohibited under the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, Harris was expelled from the team and suspended for the remainder of his rookie season. The suspension was due to a "drug of abuse," which excludes marijuana and performance-enhancing drugs.
Harris' stint in the LBA
Jalen Harris ended up playing for the LBA in Italy due to his suspension from the NBA. Harris suited up for Vanoli Cremona where he racked up decent numbers. According to Proballers, he averaged 20.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in the 2021-22 LBA season.
Just like back in his college days, Harris proved to be a natural-born scorer. However, his shooting was inconsistent at times. There were games when he put up over 50% FG, while in some games he'd make below 10% of his shots. Harris averaged 38.5% FG in the 36 games he played for the LBA.
Harris reinstated back into the NBA; signs with the New York Knicks
As of August earlier this year, the Toronto Raptors decided to reinstate Harris back into the NBA following his one-year suspension. Just a month later, Harris ended up signing a contract with the New York Knicks since the Raptors roster is already full.
We're not entirely sure how Harris can fit into the Knicks roster. For now, we're assuming that the organization will be observing the young guard's actions. Harris may be reinstated, but that doesn't mean he won't be under probation. He better be more mindful of his actions moving forward.
According to Sportsnet, the Knicks haven't disclosed Harris' contract with the team. It's not entirely weird for the organization to keep his status classified, especially considering he just came from a suspension. What matters at this point is that Harris is back in the NBA.
