Way-too-early buyout candidates for the Cleveland Cavaliers

Target No. 1: Joe Harris

Joe Harris has been one of the NBA’s best sharpshooters in the past few seasons, and was one of the most consistent players for the Brooklyn Nets. In his seven seasons for the Nets, Harris shot a blistering 44.0 percent from distance on 5.2 attempts per night. Last season, Harris’ minutes dropped, but he still shot an incredible 42.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Joe Harris has the best three-point percentage in Brooklyn Nets history, beating out Drazen Petrovic by 0.3 percent. Furthermore, Harris has also connected on the most three-pointers in Nets history, hitting 984 in his total tenure in Brooklyn.

Harris is a big-time sniper, but there is more to be desired within his game beyond that.

He has averaged 1.6 assists per game in his career, which isn’t that impressive, and he’s never been known as a quality defender, and doesn’t really have a ton of athleticism compared to a lot of NBA players.

Recently, Harris got traded with cash and two second-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Detroit Pistons for nothing. Harris is on the last year of his contract, where he’ll make $19.9 million, and then become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

The Pistons do not really have a ton of depth at the small forward spot, but chances are, Ausar Thompson or Bojan Bogdanović will be the starting small forward. Harris will most likely be a bench player next season, and that makes him a prime buyout candidate, especially considering he’s going to be 32 years old next month.

The Cavaliers could use Joe Harris’ three-point shooting, as that would give more spacing to a team that definitely could use it.

Danny Green was drafted in Cleveland, and he went back to his roots after being bought out last season. What’s to say Harris doesn’t do the same, and doesn’t go back to Cleveland, since he was drafted in the second round back in 2014 by the Cavs?