Auburn basketball: Will Jared Harper move up to NY Knicks?

Former Auburn basketball point guard Jared Harper is proving his worth in the NBA’s developmental G-League. Harper is, of course, joined by fellow Auburn alum Bryce Brown on the Westchester Knicks, the G-League affiliate of the New York Knicks.

Harper was recently named to the 2021 All-NBA G-League First Team, effectively recognizing him as one of the five most valuable players in the G-League. He is currently under a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks, who played out the 2021 season in an Orlando bubble but has now rejoined the main team.

The former Auburn point guard has been making waves all season for Westchester, leading the team in scoring, assists, and minutes. According to Empire Media, Harper is the first player in franchise history to receive the honor.

"Harper led the Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate team, to a 7-8 record in the G League bubble while leading the team in scoring, assists, and minutes. He made history by becoming Westchester’s first-ever recipient of the award, the highest nod a player has received in franchise history.Harper finished fourth in the league in scoring with 21.3 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting. He had a pair of 30-point performances, including a career-high 35 points in the Knicks’ season finale win against Erie Bayhawks."

While Jared Harper has appeared at the very end of two New York Knicks games for two points and five minutes, it’s still a long shot that he’ll break out into the NY Knicks roster. The Knicks have shown that they have three point guards who produce on the floor in Immanuel Quickley, Elfrid Payton, and Austin Rivers.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has used a consistent starting lineup and has a system that works, which doesn’t leave much room for a 5’10” point guard to shake things up. It’s definitely possible that the Knicks could take stronger notice of the former Auburn basketball star due to his constant record-breaking performances in the G-League, but at the moment it seems his two-way contract will remain intact.