Maurice Harkless facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Maurice Harkless

Harkless with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019
Free agent
Power forward / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1993-05-11) May 11, 1993 (age 32) New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American / Puerto Rican
High school	Forest Hills (New York City, New York) South Kent School (South Kent, Connecticut)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	St. John's (2011–2012)
NBA Draft	2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	2012–present
Career history
2012–2015	Orlando Magic
2015–2019	Portland Trail Blazers
2019–2020	Los Angeles Clippers
2020	New York Knicks
2020–2021	Miami Heat
2021–2022	Sacramento Kings
2023–2024	Rip City Remix
Career highlights and awards
Big East Rookie of the Year (2012)

Maurice José "Moe" Harkless (born May 11, 1993) is an American-Puerto Rican professional basketball player. He last played for the Rip City Remix in the NBA G League. Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm. He was picked 15th overall in the 2012 NBA draft after his first year of college. Moe Harkless has also played for the Puerto Rican national team.

Moe Harkless's Early Life and High School Basketball

Moe Harkless was born in New York City and was adopted. He went to Forest Hills High School in Queens. Later, he moved to South Kent School in Connecticut for his last year of high school.

High School Achievements

He was named an all-metro player by newspapers in 2008–09 and 2009–10. In 2009–10, he was the Queens High School Player of the Year. That year, he averaged 16.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. At South Kent in 2010–11, he had amazing stats. He averaged 27.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He also blocked 3.1 shots and stole the ball 1.6 times per game. He was even named the MVP at a big basketball event in Philadelphia in 2011.

Moe Harkless's College Basketball Career

Harkless during his lone season at St. John's

Moe Harkless played one year of college basketball at St. John's University. This was during the 2011–12 season. He started all 32 games for his team. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He also had 1.5 assists, 1.59 steals, and 1.41 blocks per game.

College Highlights

He was the top rebounder and shot-blocker for St. John's. He was also second in scoring and steals. Among all college freshmen in the country, he was second in rebounding. He was also sixth in scoring. He won the Big East Rookie of the Year award. He scored double figures in 26 games. He scored 20 or more points seven times. His highest score was 32 points against Providence. He also had 11 "double-doubles" (scoring double digits in two different stats).

In March 2012, Harkless decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would leave college early.

Moe Harkless's Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Orlando Magic (2012–2015)

Harkless with the Magic in December 2012

On June 28, 2012, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Harkless 15th overall in the 2012 NBA draft. But on August 10, 2012, he was traded to the Orlando Magic. This was part of a big trade involving four teams and 12 players.

Rookie Season with the Magic

Harkless played well in his first NBA season. He averaged 8.2 points per game and played strong defense. He scored double figures in 29 games. He scored 20 or more points four times. His highest score was 28 points against the Houston Rockets. He also had one double-double. This was when he scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks. He had at least one steal in 50 games. He had two or more steals 22 times. His career high was six steals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Second Season with the Magic

For the 2013–14 season, Harkless started many games. However, his playing time went down as the season went on. He scored double figures 30 times. He had 20 or more points three times. His season high was 22 points. He had one double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also improved his 3-point shooting. His accuracy went from 27.4% to 38.3%.

Third Season with the Magic

In the 2014–15 season, Harkless played less. He only played in 45 games. He averaged just 15 minutes per game. In one game against the Dallas Mavericks, he started and played 36 minutes. He scored 18 points and had four steals. But he didn't make much impact for the rest of the season.

Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2015–2019)

On July 14, 2015, Harkless was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He started the 2015–16 season on the bench. But by the end of the season, he became a starter. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in the regular season. In the playoffs, his numbers went up to 11 points and 5.1 rebounds. On February 10, 2016, he scored 19 points and had 13 rebounds. On April 5, 2016, he scored a season-high 20 points. He also grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds.

New Contract and Continued Success

After the season, Harkless signed a new four-year, $40 million contract. He stayed with the Trail Blazers. Coach Terry Stotts made Harkless the starting small forward. He kept this role for most of the 2016–17 season. On October 27, he scored 23 points and had eight rebounds. He also scored 23 points again on November 30. Harkless improved his 3-point shooting again. His average went from 28% to 35%.

Later Seasons with Portland

Harkless started the 2017–18 season as a starter. But he lost his spot after 18 games. On December 23, he scored a season-high 22 points. He had knee surgery in March 2018. This made him miss the end of the season and some playoff games. In the 2018–19 season, he missed 14 games because of his knee. On April 9, 2019, he scored 26 points. He also hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. This helped the Trail Blazers win 104–101.

Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers (2019–2020)

On July 6, 2019, Harkless was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. This was part of a big four-team trade.

Playing for the New York Knicks (2020)

On February 6, 2020, Harkless was traded to the New York Knicks. This was another three-team trade.

Playing for the Miami Heat (2020–2021)

On November 23, 2020, Harkless signed with the Miami Heat.

Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2021–2022)

On March 25, 2021, Harkless was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He re-signed with the Kings on August 7, 2021.

Multiple Trades in 2022

In July 2022, Harkless was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Then, in September, he was traded again to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just three days later, on September 30, Harkless was traded a third time. This time, he went to the Houston Rockets. He was then released by the Rockets on October 11, 2022.

Playing for the Rip City Remix (2023–2024)

On November 26, 2023, Harkless joined the Rip City Remix. This team is in the NBA G League. He played for them until January 30, 2024, when he was waived.

Moe Harkless's National Team Career

In January 2014, Moe Harkless said he wanted to play for Puerto Rico. He wanted to play in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. But he later decided not to, to focus on the NBA season. A year later, he did play for the Puerto Rican national team.

Moe Harkless's Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Stats

Moe Harkless's Family Life

Moe Harkless is the son of Rosa Harkless. He has a sister named Shakima Harkless and a brother named Tyler Rodgers. His grandfather on his mother's side is from Puerto Rico. He was raised by his grandmother, Barbara Harkless.

See also

In Spanish: Maurice Harkless para niños

• List of Puerto Ricans