Sixers Urged Against Moving ‘Great Trade Chip’ Tobias Harris

It’s once again trade season, meaning it’s once again prime time for Philadelphia 76ers fans to wonder if their team will ever pull the trigger on a trade involving Tobias Harris. It feels like the moment the ink dried on Harris’ five-year, $180 million contract back in 2019 is one the Sixers wish they could take back (along with, in no particular order, choosing Ben Simmons over Jimmy Butler, drafting Markelle Fultz over Jayson Tatum, trading Mikal Bridges to Phoenix for a guy who is currently out of the league, etc.).

Yes, it’s easy to look at Harris’ contract as another chapter in a volume of blunders made by the Sixers in the late 2010s. And since then, Harris’ name has come up time and again in trade discussions.

But according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harris should stay in Philadelphia as a result of his strong play of late.

“Harris would be a great trade chip to acquire a better fit. However, the Sixers would have to find a team willing to give back value for what is a little less than two years and $79.6 million remaining on the five-year $180 million contract he signed July 10, 2019.

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Harris’ Name in Trade Rumors Yet Again

It’s happened in the past and, spoiler alert, it’s happening once again now. Tobias Harris finds himself in the midst of more trade speculation, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. 

“76ers officials have begun their usual check-ins with teams across the league ahead of the Dec. 15 date for players who signed contracts in the offseason to be traded, when trade talks begin to intensify. Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris has come up in the 76ers’ conversations with clubs so far, league sources said.”

In this current iteration of the Sixers, Harris is a solid fourth option. The only problem is that his skillset (and salary) belong to a player much higher on a team’s pecking order. No, Harris isn’t the number-one option on a championship-level team.

But in his last four games (ones in which he’s been the second or third option due to Harden’s injury return), Harris has been fantastic. He’s up to 19.8 points per game on 64.0 percent from deep. That’s the type of player Philadelphia is paying for.

Unfortunately, when Harden is squeezed into that fourth-fiddle role, it usually requires him to make his bread on defense. Though he’s long (6’9), Harris’ defense has never been much more than average or a hair above.

Could Harris be better suited to a young team in need of veteran leadership? Likely. This is why one recent trade proposal involving Harris is fascinating.

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Sixers Find Harris a New Home in Old Trading Partner

Remember the Orlando Magic? The team that supposedly could do what Philadelphia could not in rehabilitating former top pick, Markelle Fultz? Well, it’s time the Sixers gave them yet another ring, according to Mike O’Conner of the Rights to Ricky Sanchez.

Here’s the trade:

Sixers Get: Jonathan Isaac, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross

Magic Get: Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, 2027 second-round pick

In essence, Orlando could land Harris, a culture-setter, and Thybulle, a solid perimeter defender, and continue its trek towards the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Sixers, on the other hand, take a flier on Isaac, who showed flashes of brilliance in his early days with the Magic. The only problem? It’s been two years since those flashes glittered; Isaac’s battled myriad knee injuries since then, dampening whatever excitement came initially with his skill.

Are the Sixers the team best suited for player development? Probably not. But this trade is equal parts flier-on-youth and cap-space-relief.

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