Devin Harris believes he has found his “perfect place” in the NBA. After making the painstaking decision to leave the University of Wisconsin to enter the pro ranks earlier this month, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year will now join the Dallas Mavericks.
Selected as the fifth overall pick by the Washington Wizards in Thursday’s annual NBA Draft, Harris became a Dallas Maverick 40 minutes later as part of a trade which sent Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and Harris to Dallas in exchange for Antawn Jamison and cash considerations.
“I can say my first trade happened the first day I was in the NBA,” Harris said from New York. “I’m excited for the new organization and very excited to go to Dallas. This is a perfect place. Coming in your rookie year, I think it’s important for you to go to a real nice organization that will treat me right. I think Dallas is known as a first-class organization.”
Badger men”s basketball head coach Bo Ryan accompanied Harris to New York and was seated next to Harris and his family during the event.
“Devin was pretty well-informed,” Ryan said. “I think he kind of knew something was up (with the trade), just the way it came down. He was pretty excited to be able to walk up those steps to get on the stage at No. 5, I can tell you that”
“Coach was pretty much speechless, like I was,” Harris said about the support from his former coach. “He gave me a big hug, said congratulations and that I deserved it. He’s just been the best supporter and I was glad to have him here supporting me.”
Harris was the third point guard selected Thursday night, with Ben Gordon and Shaun Livingston selected by the Bulls at No. 3 and the Clippers at No. 4 respectively.
As the fifth overall selection in the draft, Harris becomes the sixth Badger ever selected in the NBA’s first round and the earliest chosen since Don Rehfeldt was picked No. 2 in the 1950 draft by the Baltimore Bullets.
With one trade under his belt, Harris may see himself moved again as NBA rumors suggest the Mavericks are looking to make a move for disgruntled Los Angeles Laker Shaquille O’Neal. In the meantime, Harris believes his future lies with the Mavericks.
“I have talked to (owner) Mark Cuban and (head coach) Don Nelson and they pretty much just said, ‘Welcome to the Mavericks,’ ” Harris said. “I don’t know of any talks with the Lakers or what they plan on doing with that. As far as I know, I am staying in Dallas.”
Former Marquette standout Dwayne Wade was the fifth overall selection last season by the Miami Heat. Like Harris, Wade jumped to the NBA after his junior season. Wade signed a four-year, $12.3 million contract with Miami last August. Harris should see similar numbers when he sits down with Mavericks’ brass to work out a deal. Harris is at least guaranteed $2.3 million in his first year in the NBA as part of the league”s collective bargaining agreement.
Such assurances were cause for celebration from the Harris camp after his name was called and the 21-year old received an onslaught of hugs and handshakes on his way to the podium to meet NBA commissioner David Stern. With the prospects of playing for an NBA contender like Dallas with a roster full of superstars and a high-powered offense, Dallas, a city in which Harris has never visited, might just be the perfect place for the quick ball-handler.
“(I’m) excited for this new organization,” Harris said. “I’m very excited to go to Dallas.”
