Toronto Raptors: Does Jalen Harris have a future with this team?

The Toronto Raptors tried to build through the draft this year, using two draft picks in order to select a pair of Mountain West stars in San Diego State point guard Malachi Flynn and Nevada shooting guard Jalen Harris, both of whom are 22 years old due to the fact they transferred in and lost a year of production.

Harris, who arrived in Reno after transferring from Louisiana Tech, averaged 21.7 points per game last year while shooting 44.6% from the field and 36% from behind the 3-point line. That ability to score the ball prompted the Raptors to nab him right before the end of the draft.

Unfortunately, even despite the fact Toronto won just one game in the month of March, Harris has seen more action in the G League and the Raptors injury report than on the court, as his raw player profile and injury worries have made it tough for him to get any sort of regular action.

Is there a chance we see Harris next year? Or is he destined to yo-yo between the G League and the pros?

Toronto Raptors: Will Jalen Harris get playing time?

His G League stint showed that Harris is a phenomenal shooter, but the raw numbers made it look like he was more productive in the bubble than he actually was.

While Raptors 905’s style made it tough to really lock in on defense, Harris did little to answer questions about his effort and consistency on that side of the floor. Harris can shoot and score, we know that, but that won’t be enough to crack the rotation. When healthy, he needs to find that secondary skill that gets him rotation time.

As this season winds down, Nurse has shown that he will give Flynn minutes if it means he can get more chances to prove his value, or lack of same.

Harris might be able to get more playing time thanks to this new philosophy, but he needs to show that his quality offensive game can be complemented by something worthwhile on the defensive end, lest he ends up getting chucked in the proverbial bin as Masai Ujiri starts to remake the roster in the offseason.

Harris is a very intriguing offensive player, but his injuries and inefficient play on defense combined with his age might make it tough to cement himself as a long-term fixture. However, if he gets on the floor and is able to hit a few shots every now and again, that could be enough to carve out a role for him next year.

If not, there are plenty of viable replacements out there in the later rounds.