Nets' Joe Harris to undergo ankle surgery, expected to miss significant time

Nets three-point specialist Joe Harris will undergo ankle surgery and is expected to miss four to eight weeks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

He has played in just 14 of the team's 20 games and has been sidelined since Nov. 14 with an ankle injury. The surgery is addressing a "little bone particle" in his ankle, according to head coach Steve Nash.

Harris, 30, signed a four-year, $75 million deal with the Nets on Nov. 20, 2020 after becoming one of the league's best three-point shooters. The former second-round pick out of Virginia started all 76 games he played in during the 2018-19 season and led the league in three-point shooting percentage at 47.4 percent. 

He became the first Net to win the three-point contest at the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend, beating out Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Sacramento Kings' Buddy Hield.

Harris continued his sharp-shooting, leading the league with a 47.5 percent mark from three during the 2020-21 season. He's played a crucial role in the Nets' offense alongside stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.

Over six seasons in Brooklyn, Harris has averaged 12.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 358 contests. He's shot 48.6 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from three on an average of 5.3 attempts per game.

During his absence, the Nets have turned to guard Patty Mills and wing DeAndre' Bembry to fill the 3-and-D role. The team may still be without Irving, but is currently in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-6 record.