Getty Shake Milton #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles past Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls.
Tobias Harris likely has quite a bit to be thankful for this season. The Philadelphia 76ers forward was married this summer, is earning $37 million this season, and is quietly having one of the better defensive seasons of his career.
But, as Ponyboy liked to say, nothing gold can stay. And according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Harris’ name has come up in trade talks. Though at this point, Harris trade rumors this time of year is a time-honored tradition, up there with backyard football games and cranberry sauce. And The Rights to Ricky Sanchez’s Mike O’Connor leaned into the tradition, coming up with this incredible three-team trade proposal involving the Sixers, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers. Here’s how it works:
Sixers get: Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball
Lakers get: Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Nikola Vucevic
Bulls get: Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick, Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, rights to swap with Sixers’ 2024 first-round pick, Sixers’ 2029 first-round pick
Why Philadelphia Makes the Deal
Right out of the gate, O’Connor succinctly explained why Philadelphia might agree to this sort of deal.
“From the Sixers’ perspective, Caruso fills the Sixers’ needs much better than Harris – he is the type of player who single handedly transforms your defense – and Ball is an interesting flier moving forward. If he returns next season and is roughly the player he was before the injury, this is a major win for the Sixers.”
If Philadelphia is worried about losing Thybulle’s defense, that’s what Caruso is for. His block and steals rate this season ranks among the 95th percentile of point guards. Even better: he’s a far more reliable shooter than Thybulle. His volume isn’t the highest (five field goals attempted per game over his career), but his true shooting is just below league average.
In Ball, the Sixers also get something missing from the lineup currently: playmaking depth. Though he’s yet to suit up this season with a serious knee injury, Ball is averaging over six assists per game in his career. In a lineup that features Maxey and Harden as starters in the backcourt, Ball is an intriguing option off the bench. And given Harden’s (and now Maxey’s) less-than-stellar injury history, Ball could be needed sooner rather than later.
Harris is ‘Superfluous’ in this Sixers Team
But let’s also be clear about one thing: neither Caruso nor Ball provide the same punch as a full-strength Harris. So why trade Harris for “scraps”? It’s simple: Harris’ talents aren’t properly displayed in this Sixers team. Or as O’Connor stated, he’s “superfluous.”
“[T]he gist of my argument for trading Tobias for scraps is this: he is incredibly, unbelievably superfluous on this team. This roster needs none of the things that he brings, and all of the things that he doesn’t bring.”
That’s why bringing in a defensive ace in Caruso and a playmaker in Ball is so tantalizing: both fulfill a weakness on this team that Harris otherwise does not. Further, it gives the Sixers some more financial flexibility should they want to make another move or two.