Hawks journeyman looks ahead to future after breakout G League season

The Atlanta Hawks battled through major injuries to end the 2024-25 season with 40 wins. As absences for key players like Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela piled up, the Hawks had to call upon some of their G League talent to weather the injury storm.

This season, Kevon Harris emerged as one of the most underrated gems from the College Park Skyhawks. While he never suited up for the Hawks in a regular-season game, he played for them in two preseason games. Harris most notably won the MVP award of the G League Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend, putting his name on the radar of many NBA fans.

Harris even earned a 10-day contract with the Hawks on March 1, but his deal was terminated three days later (before he could play a game) to make room on Atlanta’s roster for the upgrading of Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract. The undrafted journeyman averaged a career-high 19.8 points in the G League this season, shooting 42.0% from three and leading the Skyhawks in total scoring by more than 150 points.

Harris grew up and played high school basketball on the outskirts of Atlanta. In college, he became the all-time scoring leader for Stephen F. Austin with 1,833 points from 2016 to 2020. Since then, the 27-year-old wing has enjoyed G League stops with the Raptors, the Magic, and now the Hawks. He made 36 total NBA appearances with Orlando on a two-way contract during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.

Kevon Harris reflects on breakout season with Hawks

Harris recently spoke to Peachtree Hoops’ Malik Brown about his long-term NBA goals and how it felt to play at home with the Hawks this season. 

“It’s definitely been special playing back home. I’ve been embracing it and loving it, but I was planning on having a great year anyway,” Harris said. “Last year, I was dealing with a little knee injury, and I missed probably about half the season when I was with the Magic. I knew this year I was gonna come back with vengeance, come back healthy, ready to play, and prove something. Just having that chip on my shoulder and trying to perform highly in my hometown.”

Harris relished his hometown opportunity, and it showed in his breakout season. He led the Skyhawks in usage rate with a 25.5% mark, along with team-highs in made 3-pointers and made free throws.

When asked about his G League success, Harris pivoted to how he can adapt to the big leagues for an NBA team in the future.

“I feel like I can help an NBA team in a lot of ways on both sides of the ball. I’m just waiting on the team to give me that shot again,” Harris told Brown. “This year, I felt like I was gonna get a call, didn’t get the call I wanted. Obviously, I got the 10-day with the Hawks, but I didn’t get the experience on the court or the opportunity to play. So, just staying with it.”

Harris’ determination to continue his journey at the highest level was evident in his leadership for College Park. Back in February, Skyhawks head coach Steve Klei spoke with Soaring Down South about Harris’ pivotal role on Atlanta’s G League squad.

“Kevon has been unbelievably efficient for a large part of the season,” Klei said. “His 3-point shooting has been really impactful, he’s one of the few guys that can shoot it efficiently off the dribble … Leadership-wise, Kevon is an unbelievable culture guy. He’s about the right stuff, and he’s been a really good vet for us in the locker room and somebody that’s really helped our younger guys.”

After earning his first-ever 10-day contract, earning hardware at All-Star Weekend, and leading the Skyhawks’ young roster, Harris is ready to take another leap this offseason. He spoke to Brown about his goals for the future and the legacy he wants to leave behind on and off the court.

“Taking care of my family, doing what I love at a high level. Definitely want to be in the NBA, and I know I can for sure,” Harris said. “We all know how that is, it comes and goes, so just taking advantage of my skill set and making as much money as I can playing at a high level and giving back to the community. I plan on doing a charity event at my old high school, and they retired my jersey early in the year. 

“God has been good to me, and just trying to help the community and the next ones. I want to finish my career at a high level. I’m only 27, so I definitely have about another six to 10 years. So staying healthy and doing what I do.”

The Hawks will have a tough decision to make as Harris enters free agency this summer.