Gary Harris picked up his $3.8 million player option to remain with the Bucks next year, Spotrac’s Keith Smith reported on Monday; the 31-year-old combo guard had until June 29 to pick up the option. This was widely expected, given it’s extremely unlikely that Harris would have had better offers on the table if he declined the option and entered unrestricted free agency.
Harris inked a two-year, $7.4m contract—with the second year a player option—before the 2025/26 season after leaving the Orlando
Magic. Originally meant to bring in guard depth, veteran leadership, and steady three-point shooting, Harris averaged a career-low 2.7 PPG, along wth 1.3 RPG and 1.1 APG on .442/.412/.889 shooting splits. In 48 appearances, he averaged just 13.8 minutes per contest.
When he returns to Milwaukee for his 13th NBA season—assuming the Bucks don’t just waive his contract and pay him out, which could well happen—his biggest challenge will be remaining on the court. Harris struggled to break into the Bucks’ guard rotation at the start of the season and was sidelined by nagging groin and hamstring injuries towards the end.
