5 days ago
Winnipeg Sea Bears sign former Toronto Raptors guard
Mired in a four-game losing slump and sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Winnipeg Sea Bears added a former member of the Toronto Raptors to help turn around their fortunes.
The Sea Bears signed guard Jalen Harris who was the 59th overall pick by the Raptors in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The 26-year-old Harris appeared in 13 games with the Raps as a rookie and made his CEBL debut in 2022 with the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
The six foot five guard is a two-time CEBL all-star and set the league record for most points in a single game with 45 last season with the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
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He averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 11 games in 2024 as he was chosen for the All-CEBL second team.
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'We are thrilled to welcome Jalen Harris to the Sea Bears,' said head coach and general manager Mike Taylor in a media release. 'Jalen is a dynamic scorer with proven professional experience, and we believe he will make an immediate impact on our team.
'He brings versatility, shot-making and a competitive edge that fits well with how we want to play. We're excited to integrate him into our group and look forward to the spark he can provide on both ends of the floor.'
Harris has also played in the NBA G League as well as in Italy, China, and Puerto Rico.
Taylor believes Harris will immediately upgrade their offence which has struggled at times early in the season.
'We have not been as productive as we need to be offensively,' Taylor told the 680 CJOB Sports Show. 'We felt like, hey, we need a little bit more playmaking. We need a guy that can command and have some presence offensively with his ability to score.
'It checked off a lot of the boxes that could help us make some strides.'
The Sea Bears are hoping to have Harris in the lineup on Friday when they face the still winless Brampton Honey Badgers to start games in back-to-back days.
