A FORMER first-round draft pick has found himself unemployed at just 30 years old after ten seasons in the NBA.

Maurie Harkless may have been left without a job at a relatively young age, but his career was far from a failure.

Harkless made 621 NBA appearances
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Harkless made 621 NBA appearancesCredit: Getty

He averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game
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He averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per gameCredit: Getty
Originally from New York City, Harkless would up attending St. John’s for just one year before declaring for the NBA Draft in 2012.

Selected fifteenth overall by the Orlando Magic, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward quickly established himself in the league.

The then 19-year-old started 59 of 76 games as a rookie, averaging 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.

Harkless continued to play a big role in year two, but this plummeted in year three when he started just four of 45 games.

Traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015, he eventually earned a starting role and went on to make 274 appearances during a four-year stint.

Harkless’ career turned to that of a journeyman in 2019 when he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for the first in a series of short stays.

During the final three years of his career to date, he would play for the Clippers, the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and the Sacramento Kings.

After being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, then the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Houston Rockets in 2022, he eventually hit free agency in October.

During the course of his career so far, Harkless has made around $61million.

But it wasn’t always easy for the New Yorker, who found himself being tasked with gaining weight during his career.

He told Heavy.com: “I’ve tried to put on weight before, but a lot of times it just doesn’t work, and I don’t really feel comfortable playing too heavy.

“I find where I’m comfortable at and I do that.”

Harkless added that despite his seeming lack of bulk: “I don’t think I lack strength.

“I feel like I’m pretty strong, especially for somebody my size. So I just go in confidently with that.”

“I have my advantages when it comes to length and speed, so I just use those advantages.”

As for Harkless’ next step, he has while he was linked with various teams immediately following his release, as of late there have been no links with an imminent return to the game.

Harkless (L) last played for the Kings
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Harkless (L) last played for the KingsCredit: AP