Most Denver Nuggets fans have come to have a strong affection for Aaron Gordon . He's commonly referred to as Mr. Nugget now, and the de facto team leader is certainly a fan favorite. But to get Gordon to Denver , the Nuggets had to give up another favorite by trading away Gary Harris . Someone Nikola Jokic would probably love to have back in the Mile High City. Harris is now available on the free-agent market after his release from the Detroit Pistons , but unfortunately, a reunion just doesn't make sense.
Jokic started 55 games in his rookie season alongside Harris, and the two quickly forged a bond on the court. Harris was the Nuggets' starting shooting guard for the first five and a half years of Jokic's career before Harris was traded to the Orlando Magic for Gordon, which turned out to be one of, if not the best, trades in Nuggets history, as Gordon was the missing piece of the championship-winning team in 2022-23.
Harris was one of the first players to really figure out how to play with Jokic to maximize their game. Harris was even the Jamal Murray to Jokic before that duo became one of the greatest two-man games in NBA history. Harris moved exceptionally well without the ball, and Jokic found him. Between 2016 and 2019, Jokic had 290 assists to Harris, the most assists by a center to one player over that period. Harris averaged an exceptional 1.394 points per possession on cuts in the 2016-17 season.
That on the court bond was one of the reasons it hurt Jokic so much to see Harris traded. In fact, it made Jokic cry.
"I remember saying goodbye to Gary...and I cried because I was so sad. We had a little bit (of a) good connection, and we played really good," Jokic told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.
While it would be cool to see Jokic potentially connect with Harris again on the basketball court, it definitely makes zero sense for the Nuggets to entertain that idea this season. The Nuggets do have one roster spot open, but their status as the only team over the NBA's second-apron luxury tax penalty threshold squashes that idea. Not to mention, Harris just isn't the same player now that he was the last time he suited up for the Nuggets.
It's just not a reunion that Nuggets fans are likely to see. But it's nice to reminisce.
This article was originally published on www.nugglove.com as Gary Harris release puts tempting Nuggets reunion at odds with roster reality .
