Highlights for Tobias Harris
The Detroit Pistons made a trade, their first of the 2015-16 season, sending pending free agent Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova to the Orlando Magic for versatile forward Tobias Harris. Here’s a closer look at Harris, expected to make his debut Friday at Washington:
THE VITALS
Height: 6-feet-9
Weight: 235 pounds
D.O.B: July 15, 1992 (23 years old)
Hometown: Dix Hills, N.Y.
College: University of Tennesee
Drafted: 1st round (19th overall), 2011 by the Charlotte Bobcats
Career averages (per game): 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists
A McDonald’s All-American in high school, Harris set Half Hollow Hills High School’s all-time scoring record as a sophomore and went on to average 24.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.3 blocks per game as a senior. He was named Mr. Basketball in New York and was invited to USA Men’s Basketball U18 training camp.
Tobias Harris played one season collegiately, at the University of Tennessee, before declaring for the 2011 NBA draft. During his freshman season, he averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and was named Freshman All-American second team by the United States Basketball Writers Association. At the age of 18, he was the youngest player in the 2011 draft pool.
After been drafted, Harris was traded by the Charlotte Bobcats to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team, seven-player deal. He played parts of two seasons in Milwaukee, averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing limited minutes.
His role grew exponentially in Orlando, who acquired him in a six-player trade in February 2013 that included J.J. Redick and Ish Smith, where he played the last four seasons and averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. The Magic rewarded Harris with a four-year, $64 million contract extension in the offseason.
Highlights why he wore jersey No. 12 with the Magic, well that was tribute to a childhood friend, Morgan Childs, died at the age of 17 from leukemia. Childs wore the No. 12 playing basketball, and Harris carried on the legacy during his time in Orlando. He’ll have to switch to another number in Detroit, as center Aron Baynes already dons the 12.
Moreover his talents comes from a basketball family. Harris’ father, Torrel, played at Duquesne and Murray State, his older sister, Tesia, played at Delaware and St. John’s, his brother, Tyler, plays at Auburn and his cousin is Channing Frye, his former teammate in Orlando.
Been a good Christian rased in a good family, Harris is a two-time winner of the Rich & Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award during his time in Orlando. He was given an NBA Cares Community Assist award in March, 2015, and donated $50,000 in September to education and youth mentoring programs in central Florida.
