Getty Tobias Harris #12, Tyrese Maxey #0, and James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers watch from the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center on November 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As the NBA season progresses and the Philadelphia 76ers continue their quest to upgrade the roster, Tobias Harris has been a common name mentioned in trade rumors. The 30-year-old has seen his name mentioned in these talks for several years and has already been traded four times in his career. His hefty contract and reduced role make him a candidate that the Sixers would ideally move for a better fit. However, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, this does not look likely to be the case.
The NBA Insider reported, “I have not heard his name come up at all and I have been calling around the league all week.” This occurred during an episode of his podcast, ‘Please Don’t Aggregate This’ where he spoke with PhillyVoice’s Kyle Neubeck. The Sixers insider mostly agreed with Fischer and stated, “I don’t think the team is itching to trade him, but I do think they are aware he is one of their only paths to a big trade potentially this season. I do think there is some level of interest in him out there from people with other teams that I talk to, but the problem is coming to an agreement on any sort of middle ground.”
Tobias Harris discussed his mentality and approach heading into and during tonight’s game with the media postgame.
Real leader stuff right here. #BrotherlyLove
Harris’ Contract Untradeable?
One of the lingering topics of conversation has been Harris’ contract and how difficult it is to move. The Tennessee product is the highest-paid player on the Sixers’ roster and the 15th highest-paid player across the entire NBA. Harris has a year and a half remaining on this contract and is due $37.6 million this season and $39.3 million in 2022-23.
Many have labeled this as an ‘untradeable contract,’ due to the massive percentage of the salary cap it takes up. While the salary is not ideal for a guy who is the fourth option on the Sixers when the team is fully healthy, the veteran deserves credit for buying into his role.
These were not the expectations when Harris first inked the deal as he was looked at as a connecting piece between Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. It also should be noted that the Sixers had their backs against the wall in negotiations after sending out just about all of their assets in exchange for Harris and Jimmy Butler during the 2018-19 season. After Butler elected to take his talents to South Beach, the Sixers had their hand forced to give Harris the monetary figure he desired.
Jimmy Butler with the CLUTCH steal to put the Sixers up 115-113
Do Sixers Need Harris?
For what it is worth, the complaints about Harris are nearly always regarding his contract and not his actual play. The 11-year-veteran will especially be needed during this stretch with the Sixers’ biggest stars out injured. Without Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and James Harden on the court, Harris will be rising up the pecking order for Philadelphia in a necessary way.
While he has been reduced to a three-and-D role this season as a product of the Sixers’ style of play, it should not be forgotten that Harris was a 20-point-per-game scorer just four seasons ago. Harris has stepped back into the spotlight in the first two games without the Sixers’ star trio by attempting 20+ shots in both matchups for the first time all season. He especially shined during the shorthanded victory against the Nets by leading the team in scoring with 24 points.
Tobias Harris came up clutch in the Sixers’ win tonight.
24 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST
Even following the return of the stars, Harris will still be set to play a significant role. His play has been one of the bright spots of the season as he is attempting 5.3 three-pointers per game which is the most during his tenure in Philadelphia. While his efficiency has taken a dip in recent games, he is still connecting at a solid 36.5% rate.
The trade rumors will continue to swirl as the deadline inches closer. As both Fischer and Neubeck alluded to, Harris’ contract makes his name unavoidable in these discussions. You cannot count out Daryl Morey from working his magic to improve the team, but flipping Harris may not be as much of a certainty as many make it out to be.