Posted at 8:51 a.m., Thursday, September 13, 2007
NBA: Mavericks extend guard Harris' contract
By JAIME ARON
Associated Press
Harris would've been going into the final year of his rookie contract. Instead, he has the comfort of knowing he'll be teammates with reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki and All-Star Josh Howard for years to come. Both are signed through 2010-11.
"We wanted Devin going into this year with a clear mind," team president Donnie Nelson said today. "He's one of the bright young point guards of the future in this league. The fact he was invited to the Dream Team junior squad shows there are a lot of people that are very high on his future, us obviously being one of them."
Harris was part of a select squad that played against the U.S. national team to help it prepare for last month's FIBA Americas tournament.
He averaged career-highs across the board last season, including 10.2 points and 3.7 assists, as the Mavericks won an NBA-best 67 games. He's played three seasons, and his numbers have gone up steadily each time. Harris' breakout came during the 2006 playoffs, helping Dallas reach the NBA finals.
The Mavericks began talking about an extension with Harris' agent, Henry Thomas, a few months ago. They wound up using the six-year, $51.5 million contract Mo Williams received from Milwaukee as a barometer. Harris will make almost $4 million this season from his existing contract, then jump to about $8 million when the new deal kicks in.
"This is a deal we can both be comfortable with," Thomas said. "One of the things I looked at is the fact Devin is young. He'll be 30 when this deal is over. ... There's another contract out there."
Harris started alongside Jason Terry for much of last year, a two-point-guard look that worked great in the regular season but not the playoffs. It remains to be seen how they will be used this season, although Harris is believed to have an edge if coach Avery Johnson shakes things up.
This contract might wrap up a quiet offseason for the Mavs, with backup Eddie Jones being their only significant acquisition. Nelson said the team's still considering other players, with Chris Webber and P.J. Brown among the candidates. But he is in no hurry with training camp opening Oct. 2.
"Our feeling is that this team has really earned the right to have another crack at it and hopefully do something special this year," Nelson said. "You can say what you want about the first-round exit. But we're doing some things right — we won 67 games and that's one of the top records ever, and we got to the finals the year before. Although last year's exit was a surprise to us all, the reality is we feel we've got what it takes in the locker room right now."
