Trade deadline day is exciting for NBA fans, but there is also the flip side, with players seeing longtime teammates move cities and leave to opposing teams. For young Denver guards Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, their strong relationship took a hit Thursday as Harris was dealt to Orlando in exchange for Aaron Gordon. In a tribute to Harris on Instagram, Murray wrote that “tears fell” as he sorted through old images of he and Harris through the years.
The pictures showed the two teammates together over their nearly five seasons together, with Murray captioning the tribute with “all love.”
With a backcourt of Murray and Harris, the Nuggets went from high-lottery squad to Western Conference finals team, with the two young guards coalescing into a nice complement to Nikola Jokic. Similar to players like DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry in Toronto or other duos from years past, this trade seems to have separated two close teammates who had pride over what they did to lift their team.
Of course, Gordon improves the fortunes of Denver’s team, and Harris had struggled in recent seasons offensively and with his health. The business of trade deadline day is part of the NBA, but stings on a human level, too.