The Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with young guard Joe Harris after trading him to the Orlando Magic last Tuesday, a roster move that will help the team with their budget, especially with the payroll they are set to have.
According to ESPN and Yahoo Sports, the move may save the Cavaliers around $3 million in luxury tax penalties.
Along with Harris, Cleveland also sent cash considerations ($1 million) and the Sacramento Kings' 2017 protected second-round pick to Orlando in exchange for the Portland Trail Blazers' protected 2020 second-round pick, ESPN elaborated.
Harris, who is coming off a foot surgery, is likely to be waived by the Magic, according to both reports.
The 24-year-old guard out of Virginia was the 33rd overall pick by the Cavaliers in the 2014 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.
Last season, in his rookie year with Cleveland, Harris played 51 games (one start) and was averaging 2.7 points in 9.7 minutes played per outing.
But this season, Harris has played in five games only and was averaging three minutes per contest, getting pushed further in Cleveland's shooting guard depth chart that features J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Jared Cunningham.
Now, it is uncertain where Harris will end up in his young NBA career, although teams looking for a guard may be interested in him.
"Joe was a real good member of the team. He was a guy we all liked having on our team. A guy I really enjoyed coaching," Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said, according to ESPN.
"A terrific teammate and a guy with a real future, I believe, in this league. It's one of those things that you wish it didn't have to happen, but it's understandable under the circumstances why," he added.
The Cavaliers are currently the leaders of the Eastern Conference with a 27–9 record and are on an eight-game winning streak.
