The third-year forward is averaging a career-low in minutes per game, and questions have risen about his future in Orlando.
When the Orlando Magic sent All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers three years ago in a blockbuster deal that included the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the players the team received in return was former St. John’s standout Maurice Harkless. Drafted 15th overall by the Sixers in 2012, Harkless was moved to Orlando along with Nikola Vucevic and a handful of other players to jump-start the Magic’s rebuild under new general manager Rob Hennigan.
In his lone season as a member of the Red Storm, Harkless averaged 15.5 points per game and led the team in rebounds per game (8.6), steals per game (1.6 – tied with two other players) and blocks per game (1.4). The 6-foot-8, 208-pound forward struggled shooting the basketball, but converted on 50.6 percent of his 2-point attempts.
Entering the NBA, Harkless played the most minutes of any freshman prospect in his class, according to Kyle Nelson of DraftExpress. He started 100 games in his first two seasons with the Magic and averaged roughly eight points a game on 46 percent shooting and just over one steal.
This season, he seemingly fell out of favor with former head coach Jacque Vaughn and his playing time decreased dramatically. His numbers are down across the board and reports surfaced last month that the Magic had placed him on the trading block.
Orlando fired Vaughn last month, but Harkless’ playing time has remained inconsistent under interim head coach James Borrego. So why has he fallen out of the rotation, and is this a sign of things to come in the future?
It’s important to point out that Harkless’ diminished playing time could be due to the rise of Tobias Harris, who is having a career year and will likely receive a nice contract this offseason. The drafting of Aaron Gordon, another forward, may be another reason Harkless has taken a back seat.
But his biggest weakness entering the league, his perimeter shooting, has not improved and remains a work in progress. He’s averaging 31.6 percent from 3-point range as a pro, but this season he’s shooting just 17.9 percent from behind the arc.
Although Harkless is already in his third year, he’s only 21 years old, so there is still plenty of time for him to find his groove and become a successful NBA player. But some of the league’s most talented players are on the wings, and he must be able to develop his offensive game if he hopes to have any chance of earning minutes.
Harkless’ future will likely be decided this offseason. Harris will be a restricted free agent and he has expressed his desire to test the market, but Orlando will ultimately decide if they want to retain him or let him walk. Gordon seems best fit to play the small forward position in the NBA, but he could also move to power forward against smaller lineups because of his defensive skills. Harkless will be a restricted free agent after the 2015-16 season.
If the Magic choose to keep Harris, Harkless would probably be better off signing an offer sheet from another team. But if Orlando parts ways with Harris, more minutes will be freed up for Harkless to develop and potentially carve out a spot in the team’s young core.
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