In the 2020 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors selected Jalen Harris, a 6’4″ guard out of Nevada, with the No. 59 selection. The Raptors offered Harris a two-way deal to give him a shot. But Harris didn’t give himself a chance; after testing positive for a “drug of abuse,” he was suspended by the NBA for a full year for violating its drug policy.
Following his reinstatement, Harris will be able to continue his NBA career, the NBA and NBPA confirmed on Tuesday. The official language is as follows:
Today, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association approved Jalen Harris’s request to be allowed to return to the NBA.
Harris was eligible for reinstatement in just one year (as opposed to two for veterans) as a rookie player.
In the COVID-19-ravaged 2020–21 season, Harris appeared in 13 games for the Raptors, starting two of them. He scored well for them (63.2 true shooting percentage) and shown potential when it came to catch-and-shoot threes. Harris may have been considered for a roster position in Toronto during the previous season, but he played for the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League following his NBA ban. There, he led the club in scoring, averaging 19.9 points per game on 41.1% shooting from the field and 28.8% from three.