Raptors NBA Draft Pick Jalen Harris Signs With the Saskatchewan Rattlers
Saskatoon, Sask. - The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that the club signed 6-foot-5 Dallas, Texas-native Jalen Harris for the 2024 season.
The 2020 NBA Draft pick played with the Toronto Raptors, two seasons with the CEBL’s Scarborough Shooting Stars, and was recently with the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League – where in his last game with the club he set a career-high 50 points. Harris looks to make his Rattlers debut on May 22 when they face their conference rival, the Winnipeg Sea Bears at SaskTel Centre.
“Jalen brings a lot of high-level experience to our roster and is expected to make a big impact on the court,” said General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Barry Rawlyk. “He was a valuable part of the team in Scarborough for two seasons and we expect he will bring some of his championship mentality to our team. He is expecting to bring himself into a totally basketball-focused environment with the Rattlers, which Coach Abney has promised to deliver.”
During his professional career, Harris has played four seasons with nine teams in the NBA, NBA G League, NBA Summer League, CEBL, Italy, and Puerto Rico. He has a professional career average of 12.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assist, and 24.3 minutes while playing in 115 games.
With early entry in the 2020 NBA Draft, Jalen Harris was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the second round with the 29th pick. In his NBA rookie season, Harris averaged 7.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 13.2 minutes in 13 games. To close out his rookie season, he scored a season-high 31 points in his hometown against the Mavericks.
Harris made his overseas debut in Italy during the 2021-22 season with Vanoli Cremona, where he averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 27.9 minutes in 18 games. During the 2022 CEBL season, he signed with the Scarborough Shooting Stars. In his CEBL debut, he recorded a season-high 38 points (June 7). He helped secure a spot in the CEBL Championship Game with a team-high 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a win over the Niagara River Lions. Over two seasons with the Shooting Stars, he started in all 22 appearances averaging 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 30.9 minutes.
Returning to the NBA, Harris joined the New York Knicks in 2022 for Training Camp. He signed a contract with the Knicks, playing with the NBA G League affiliate. Over two seasons with the Knicks organization, Harris averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 22.5 minutes in 13 games. During the 2022-23 season, he signed with the Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls affiliate) where he averaged 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 23.7 minutes in 35 games. In his final game with the Bulls, he logged a team-high 50 points, team-high 12 rebounds, and a team-high five assists while shooting 67.7% from the field in 40 minutes. Harris signed a deal with Leones de Ponce in Puero Rico leading up to the 2024 CEBL season and will join the Rattlers for Training Camp next week.
“I’m just eager to get back up there and get started,” said Harris. “It’s a situation with new pieces and a new energy, so I look forward to coming in and helping to win games.”
Prior to his professional career, Harris attended Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas. In his last two seasons, he was awarded consecutive District 8-6A Offensive Player of the Year. As a senior, he was rated 16 th best offensive player and ninth best guard in the state of Texas by Rivals.com.
Harris made his NCAA debut with Louisiana Tech during the 2016-17 season. As a freshman, he averaged 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 22.9 minutes in 27 games. He was named to 2017 Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Over two seasons with Louisiana Tech, he averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 23.5 minutes over 38 games. During the 2019-20 season, Harris transferred to the University of Nevada where he made instant impact as a Junior. In his final NCAA season, he averaged 21.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 33.0 minutes while starting in all 33 games. He was named to 2020 NABC All-District 17 Team, 2020 Mountain West All-Conference First Team (Coaches + Media), 2020 Mountain West Newcomer of the Year (Coaches), 2020 Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team, and 2020 Paradise Jam Tournament MVP.
Jalen Harris joins the newly assembled roster consisting of Julian Roche, Somto Dimanochie, Elijah Harkless, Emmanuel Bandoumel, Cody John, Maurice Calloo, Adong Makuoi, and 2023 Rattlers Defensive Player of the Year - Anthony Tsegakele. The Rattlers added three familiar faces concluding the 2024 CEBL Draft with Alexander Dewar, Isaac Simon, and Elias Ralph with the third-overall pick. The franchise will continue to unveil the 2024 roster leading up to their Training Camp in mid-May.
Individual game tickets range from $20 in the Fang Zone section to $95 for seating in courtside row 2 (All row 1 options are sold out). Flex Ticket Bundles and Group tickets can be purchased to access bulk discounts. Season tickets range from $175 in the Fang Zone to $850 for courtside row 2 (All row 1 options are sold out). Premium seat options are available including VIP tables, Luxury Suites, and the Rattlers Courtside Lounge. All ticket options can also be purchased through the Rattlers Front Office (306) 244-2181, Saskatchewan Rattlers website, or via Ticketmaster. Current season ticket members can manage their seats by using Account Manager. For more seating options, and partnership opportunities; fans can contact an account executive or Ivan Brown (Director of Partnerships).
About the Saskatchewan Rattlers
The Saskatchewan Rattlers are Saskatchewan’s professional basketball team, one of the six original teams in the CEBL – the Rattlers won the 2019 inaugural season championship. Playing out of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – the Rattlers offer an entertainment-focused environment surrounded by some of the world’s top professional athletes. The Rattlers are a community-first organization and take pride in their ability to bring communities together while making sport more accessible to the province.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
