The Dallas Mavericks should bring Devin Harris back

The Dallas Mavericks should really think about bringing Devin Harris back again if they aren’t already. Harris has been with the Mavs for a part of 10 of his 15 seasons.

If you are a fan of the Dallas Mavericks, the chances are high that you appreciate what Devin Harris has done and continues to do for the team and for the community. At 36 years old now, it is sometimes difficult to look back and remember just how good he was, but the fact that many fans still appreciate him is a sign of who he is as a person.

The Mavs have been in the midst of a youth movement over the past couple years. While adding a number of draft picks to the team, the front office also made a move for a 23 year old superstar. Although the core of this team is really probably only three guys at this point, it is still worth noting that they are young guys.

Dallas made probably its biggest step in the youth movement this year when Dirk Nowitzki announced his retirement from the NBA. There is something about having a 40 year old on the roster that really brings the average age of the team up, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

So with the Mavs pushing for youth, why would it be a good idea to keep Devin Harris around again? There are three simple reasons, in my opinion.

Leadership

Harris is a natural leader and enjoys working with the younger guys on the team to get their game up to the next level. He was at one point in his career considered one of the better slashers in the league, with his combination of speed and agility almost impossible for defenders to stay in front of.

He could be a great mentor for the young guards and he can be a great locker room presence if the Mavs do crack into the playoffs next year. He and J.J. Barea would be the perfect pair of vocal leaders now that Dirk is gone.

Contract

Dallas is going to be using most of their open cap space on one or two guys to try and bring another star to the team. This means that there will be unfilled roster spots with the Mavs only having a very limited amount of cash to spend on them.

Harris would fit perfectly into the money plans because he isn’t going to be offered any more than the veteran minimum this year. Dallas would not have to spend any actual cap on Devin, just use the veteran minimum exception to keep him around. There may be other guys that this could be used on, but for now, Harris is a great plan to fill that spot.

History/System

Devin was drafted by the Mavs and he has spent a vast majority of his career here. He is coming up on 37 years old and will likely not be playing in the league for much longer at this point. I would love to see Devin retire as a Maverick and if it could happen at the end of this season, that would fit the timeline so perfectly.

Aside from that, Harris knows how to run Carlisle’s system perfectly. He can run it himself when coach needs him to, but he can also help the young guards coming up like Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic with running this offense. Either way, it sounds like a win for the Mavs.

It is unclear what the Mavericks plans are going to be for Devin Harris going forward, but if they do bring him back for another year, I think it would be a wise decision and one that would really benefit the team.