The Bucks finally stop Harris
The Milwaukee Bucks finally fired Larry Harris, a man who really hasn't made a single great move in his time as a GM. Needless to say, he'll likely be hired on as an assistant GM any day now. Harris came into a very good situation in Milwaukee, a young team with a backcourt of TJ Ford, Michael Redd, and Desmond Mason (as well as a servicable enough big man in Joel Pryzbilla) and a load of cap space. Harris's first couple of years weren't so bad; the Bucks made the playoffs and the team hasn't squandered too much of its cap space (partially because the Wizards inexplicably matched the obscene 6 million per year offer that Harris had made for Etan Thomas).
Then Harris seemed to lose his mind. Taking Andrew Bogut #1 overall isn't so bad since he was the consensus #1 pick and the Bucks already had TJ Ford with Mo Williams backing him up at the point. What doesn't make sense is that after making that decision, Harris (apparently determined to overpay a center) gave Dan Gadzuric the same 6 million a year deal he offered Etan Thomas and then traded Desmond Mason and a #1 draft pick for Jamaal Magloire. After loading his team up on big men, Harris then falls for the "Clipper Contract Year" and overpays role player Bobby Simmons to a 9 million per year deal. The rest of the cap space is essentially given to Michael Redd who signs a huge max contract. I like Michael Redd but he's not someone who should be making 17 and 18 million a year at the end of his deal IMO.
A year after passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams because he had TJ Ford, the Bucks decide to trade Ford for Charlie Villenueva. A year after dealing his starting PG for a soft tweener forward, Harris decides to draft Yi Jianlian. He also thinks Mo Williams is worth 8 million a year which puts the Bucks as the luxury tax line and gives them a starting frontcourt that can't play a lick of defense and a backcourt that focuses on scoring and little else.
Needless to say, the Bucks are now a terrible team and I don't think its a coincedence that Harris was fired the night after his team lost to the Wade-less Heat.
The Bucks aren't in a terrible position for the next GM but the Larry Harris Era definitely didn't do anyone any favors. I gave my suggestions to the Bucks at the beginning of the season but the time for these deals has passed.
Of course, they are courting Donnie Walsh which makes some sense because of the respect he has around the league but I don't know how you can look at one of the few teams in a worse position than the Bucks and think THAT'S where they should look for their new GM.
