Nets Trade Rumors: BKN Doesn’t Want to Deal Joe Harris Despite Lakers Buzz

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The Brooklyn Nets reportedly have no desire to deal wing Joe Harris despite trade buzz connecting him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a potential package deal with Kyrie Irving.

Brian Lewis of the New York Post provided the report Monday.

“I know the Nets absolutely do not want to trade Joe under any scenario,” a league source told Lewis. “But there are just thousands of different ways this can play out.”

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers and Nets have been talking about a trade centered around Irving and L.A. point guard Russell Westbrook.

An apparent sticking point revolves around who the Nets would include alongside Irving.

Per Haynes, the Nets want Harris included in the deal, while the Lakers prefer shooting guard Seth Curry to arrive in L.A. Haynes also noted that “draft compensation is an ongoing talking point” for the two sides.

As Haynes wrote, Harris has two years and $38.6 million remaining on his contract. He played just 14 games last year after suffering a left ankle injury and undergoing a pair of surgeries, with the latter one occurring in March.

Harris, 30, fared quite well in 2020-21, scoring 14.1 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting (47.5 percent from three-point range).

His numbers went down in the injury-shortened 2021-22 campaign (11.3 PPG on 45.2 percent from the field), but Harris is a lights-out shooter and great complementary scorer who helps spread the floor at his best.

For now, the Lakers appear to be the team out in front to land Irving should the seven-time point guard get dealt. The question would then be what the trade package around Irving would be as the Nets and Lakers both look to rebound after disappointing seasons.