Wednesday December 23, 2009 12:29 PM
Mike Harris Returning To Rockets
Forward heading back to Houston after successful D-League stint
Rockets.com Staff
HOUSTON - Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the Rockets have signed forward Mike Harris as a GATORADE Call-Up from Houstons single-affiliation NBA D-League partner the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Harris rejoins the Rockets following a stint with the team during the 2007-08 season.
Mike Harris has been the best player in the D-League and instrumental in the Vipers 7-3 start, said Morey. He will be a quality addition to our team. We are excited to add him.
Harris (6-6, 235, Rice) returns to Houston from the Rio Grande Valley, where he was averaging a team-leading 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 10 games (10 starts) with the Vipers. At the time of his Call-Up, Harris stood second in the D-League among qualified leaders in points per game. He scored in double figures in all 10 games with Rio Grande Valley, while recording two double-doubles. Harris recorded a season-high 35 points and a season-best 12 rebounds at Tulsa (12/19/09). Harris actually began the 2009-10 season as a training camp invitee with Oklahoma City, but was waived by the Thunder on Oct. 23.
A former standout at Rice University, Harris spent his rookie NBA season with the Rockets, averaging 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17 games in 2007-08. Harris originally signed with Houston as a rookie free agent on July 13, 2007, but was waived by the Rockets on Oct. 22. He later signed a 10-day contract with Houston on Mar. 8, 2008, before inking a second 10-day contract on Mar. 18. Harris was signed for the remainder of the 2007-08 season by the Rockets on Mar. 29, 2008. During the 2008 NBA Playoffs, he averaged 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds in three postseason games with Houston. Harris also averaged 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds in five games with the Rockets in the 2007 NBA Summer League.
Harris, who also played in the preseason with the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the 2006-07 campaign, was selected third overall in the 2006 D-League Draft by the Colorado 14ers. In 48 games (16 starts) with Colorado, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.54 blocks per contest in 2006-07. In addition, Harris has played internationally in the Ukraine with BC Kyiv (2005-06) and with DongGuan of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
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