Devin Harris doesn’t know where he fits in Mavericks’ plans
With his turf toe problem nearly healed, Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris can begin preparing for the 2015-16 season.
Even if that means he’s not sure how he’ll fit into what could be another new-look lineup for Dallas.
Monta Ellis opted out of his contract to seek a longer term contract, which means the Mavericks could be busy when free agency begins Wednesday. They’ll also be mixing in first-round draft pick Justin Anderson.
The 32-year-old Harris, who injured a toe on his left foot late in the season, met with media before Dirk Nowitzki’s celebrity baseball game over the weekend to discuss Ellis, Anderson and whether he’d be ready to start instead of coming off the bench.
On Ellis: “I wasn’t surprised. Certainly, the year that he had, a chance for him to get a longer term deal at 29 or 30 was probably a smart thing for him to do. It creates a pretty big hole. It gives us some more cap space. I don’t know if that’ll be good or bad, depending on how we do in free agency. If we do lose him, it’ll be a big void to fill. He played some of his best basketball here. He really liked it here. I can definitely see him [signing a new contract with Dallas].”
On his role for the season: “I’m more comfortable with wherever Rick [Carlisle] tells me to be comfortable. If he wants me coming off the bench, I’ll come off the bench. If he wants me to start, I’ll start. It’s never really been a problem with us. He’ll communicate with me wherever he needs me, and that’s what I’ll do.”
On first-round draft pick Justin Anderson: “His play has improved every year in college. We’re a team with player movement and ball movement. He’s a really smart player who can do a lot of different things. I think we could use his talent. Coming from [Virginia coach] Tony Bennett’s system, I know defensively he can pick up the schemes really well. From what I’ve seen, he definitely can get after it defensively.”
On his toe: “It’s actually been good. I took a good solid month off and just kind of let it rest. It feels good. I’ve been working out and slowly increasing my activity.”
This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Devin Harris doesn’t know where he fits in Mavericks’ plans."