Getty The $39 million expiring contract owned by Sixers forward Tobias Harris can return several role players from the Mavericks
Tobias Harris and his $39 million expiring contract could be a trade chip for the Philadelphia 76ers in order to bring on several role players from a franchise like the Dallas Mavericks.
Liberty Ballers’ Bryan Toporek listed several potential Mavericks targets the Sixers front office can pursue in a trade involving the two franchises whose offseasons are both defined by whether or not one of their max contract stars will re-sign.
“The Dallas Mavericks stand out as a potential landing spot for Harris regardless of whether they’re able to re-sign Kyrie Irving this offseason,” Toporek wrote. “They could clear nearly $37.7 million off their books for the 2024-25 season by packaging Tim Hardaway Jr. ($16.2 million) and Davis Bertans ($16 million early-termination option) with the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft ($5.5 million). They could also offer JaVale McGee, who has a $6.0 million player option in 2024-25, in case the Sixers decide against re-signing Paul Reed in free agency.”
The ideal trade package in Harris deal would be decided by whether or not James Harden re-signs with Philadelphia according to Toporek.
“The Sixers might target different packages in return for Harris depending on whether they’re able to re-sign James Harden,” Toporek wrote. “They’d likely prefer a combination of win-now players and draft picks either way, but the pendulum might swing more toward the former if Harden stays and more toward the latter if he departs.”
Warriors Can Emerge as Sixers’ Tobias Harris Trade Partner
PhillyVoice’s Kyle Neubeck believes the NBA’s re-tooled CBA — which imposes several penalties for repeater tax-paying teams that range from taking away the mid-level exception in free agency to eliminating the ability for a front office to aggregate salaries in a trade — could make the Golden State Warriors a potential Sixers trade partner for Harris.
“In this way, a big expiring contract like Harris’ becomes an interesting chip to dangle in front of Golden State,” Neubeck wrote. “Maybe he doesn’t fit their team as well as Wiggins, for example, but swapping pieces before the more damaging apron penalties set in would allow the Warriors to create some breathing room and perhaps re-tool for a final run at titles with the Steph Curry/Klay Thompson/Green core.”
Golden State would be set to open up cap space by swapping out Andrew Wiggins and/or Jordan Poole for Harris. A swap of both Wiggins and Poole for Harris and P.J. Tucker would be a near-match salary-wise.
Hornets Floated as Potential Tobias Harris Landing Spot
“The Rights to Ricky Sanchez” host Adam Aaronson believes the Charlotte Hornets make sense as a potential landing spot for Harris, with Terry Rozier being the primary trade piece Philadelphia’s front office should want back.
Aaronson did note, however, that Rozier does have several years left on a four-year, $97-million extension he signed on September 21 which could serve as a drawback.
“The Charlotte Hornets jump out to me as well,” Aaronson said on the May 24 episode. “The Hornets … have former Sixers killer Terry Rozier, though he has three more years remaining on a deal that isn’t exactly cheap either.”
Charlotte has a decision to make on Miles Bridges, who was suspended for 30 games of which 20 already were served. If the Hornets bring Bridges back, Harris would make less sense as a target given the position overlap.