Some big changes could be on the horizon for the Philadelphia 76ers. While many have their eyes on James Harden’s free agency, Matt Moore of Action Network believes the Sixers have some plans in store for starting forward Tobias Harris.
Moore named Harris among the two players who he believes will find new homes this offseason.
“Tobias Harris for the Sixers and Tyus Jones for the Grizzlies are two players I am confident will be on new teams by the end of the summer,” Moore wrote.’
Harris $39.3 million expiring contract provides a unique situation for the Sixers this summer. Harris has been an awkward fit with the team from the very get-go, which only makes him stand out worse as a player, knowing what the Sixers are paying him.
Now that he is expiring, the Sixers have the rare chance to swap him for more depth to round out their rotation, which played a role in why they failed to make it past the Eastern Conference Finals. They may not get a player as good as Harris is on paper, but they could get someone who fits the team’s scheme better than he could.
Sixers Not Expected to Trade for Fred VanVleet & Bradley Beal
On Jun 15, NBA Insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports revealed that the Sixers are not interested in at least two stars as possible replacements for James Harden – Fred VanVleet and Bradley Beal.
Fischer explained why they don’t see VanVleet as an option despite his experience with Nick Nurse.
“But Philadelphia, sources said, is not expected to target Fred VanVleet in the event Harden departs via free agency, despite the obvious connection to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, who won a championship with VanVleet in Toronto in 2019.”
Before Beal was traded to the Phoenix Suns, Fischer said that the Sixers were not expected to go after Beal whether Harden elects to return or not.
“The Philadelphia 76ers…are also not expected to target Beal, league sources told Yahoo Sports, regardless of whether Harden decides to remain with the franchise.”
For them to pull a trade like that off for either of them, it would likely require using Harris’ contract. It’s also a possibility that they wouldn’t consider them because they like their chances of keeping Harden.
‘Loyalty Factor’ May Lead to Sixers Retaining James Harden
The Sixers have only continued to get encouraging news regarding Harden’s future with the team. On June 17, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that Harden has renewed interest in staying with Philly, but that loyalty may play a part in why he stays.
“There have been some rumbles this week that, despite the undeniably strong lure that a return to Houston holds for Harden, he is said to be giving renewed consideration to staying put. There is a loyalty factor for Harden to weigh after Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey spent the bulk of his first 15 months in the City of Brotherly Love trying to acquire him, finally succeeding in February 2022,” Stein wrote on his Substack.
While Harden sticking around sounds more and more likely, the Sixers also have to consider how much they want to pay him and for how long.
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Sixers Starter Expected to Be Traded This Offseason: Insider