The Devin Harris and Andre Miller trade rumors might actually lead to a trade soon. The New Jersey Nets and Portland Trail Blazers are apparently discussing a deal that would exchange the point guards in a deal that would include several other players. Some might view this as a rash trade by Portland though, especially now that they have moved up to the fifth seed in the Western Conference as the teams head into the 2011 All-Star break.
ESPN is reporting that this is just one of many discussions that the Nets are engaged in at this point, with Harris also potentially included in a deal with the Denver Nuggets that could take place. Harris could be a hot commodity on the market, but he could also be a player included in a deal just to make salaries match. This season for the Nets, Harris is down to averaging 15 points per game, but he is now dishing out assists at a rate of 7.6 per game. He is still only 27 though, so Harris could offer something to another franchise for many more years.
Andre Miller is playing really well for the Trail Blazers this season, even if he is just averaging 13.2 points per game. From a Portland standpoint, they might be feeling that Harris would give them another three point threat, as Miller just doesn’t have that range. Miller is much better on the defensive end of the floor though, and is definitely one of the best rebounding point guards in the league. He also has a great connection with LaMarcus Aldridge on the Blazers, so that has to be taken into account if the Blazers do decide to shake things up.
Miller is making just $7.2 million this season and has a team option for the 2011-12 season at $7.8 million. Harris makes $9.0 million this season, but also makes $9.3 million in 2011-12 and $8.5 million in 2012-13. He is one of the players that New Jersey is trying to unload, and that could also make him an important piece in a deal for Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. There are certainly questions about whether the Nets can pull off that deal though.
It was recently reported that the Net and Nuggets are once again talking trade, and that could mean that Harris is involved in a trade that also include Derrick Favors and several draft picks going back to Denver. Another scenario could also have the Nets making two trades; one to get Anthony, and the second to get Miller in order to team him up with Anthony again. Miller and Anthony were teammates for several seasons with the Nuggets, and seemed to get along great on the court.
The NBA trade deadline is coming up next week, so deals are very close to taking place, it now just comes down to which teams are actually going to pull the trigger. Don’t be surprised if both Miller and Harris are dealt, and they could even be traded in separate deals.
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References:
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