Finally, Tobias Harris is expected to hit the free agent market for the first time since re-signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.
At the time, Harris was Philadelphia's second major-season trade acquisition, coming to the team in the midst of a career year with the Los Angeles Clippers. Many expected Harris to be in a crowded free agent market and generate the biggest contract offer.
At the time, the Sixers won the race to acquire Harris. In hindsight, the Sixers' decision to sign Harris to a long-term contract that would pay him a lot of money for years to come was a big deal, as many thought he gave Harris one of the lowest-value contracts in the league. People started thinking.
Harris established himself in the Sixers' system, but was paid dearly as a third option. Harris, who was on an All-Star salary, failed to live up to the hype his contract generated. Therefore, it is unlikely that the 31-year-old forward will find a similar offer in upcoming free agency.
Would the Sixers consider bringing Harris back at a different salary structure?
“Tobias can definitely be a contributing player on the list,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said. “When it comes to backs, I’ll give you the same answer as before: We have interest in all of our free agents. …Given the CBA buckets we’ve been given, you always want to get as many good, solid players as you can.” It's not really “Is this player useful?” It's 'Will this player help in the context of the CBA?' and whatever numbers they add, what constraints does that create for other positions that you might want to help with? . ”
It's unlikely that Daryl Morey will come out and say the Sixers officially want to move on from Harris this summer. Front-office leaders have expressed confidence in Harris as a contributor on a title-winning team, while also publicly saying they want the team back to last year's team, even though they know change is inevitable. There is.
As for Harris, he never thought about whether the Game 6 loss at home to the Knicks would be his last game as a member of the Sixers. He's still over a month away from free agency, but the veteran forward has plenty of time to think about his future with an eye toward the 2024 playoffs.
Harris' contract often clouded evaluations of his play. In 378 games, Harris averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range. He also improved defensively during his six-year tenure in Philadelphia. He may have been overpaid, but he was mostly a solid player.
That being said, breaking up would be beneficial for both parties. Harris played for three different head coaches with the Sixers, teamed with many different players, and went through many role changes. He needs to find a team that will maintain a stable role and focus on how they can use him.
As for the 66ers, they need to build the best roster around Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Clearly, Harris wasn't the right fit for that role. During the 2024 playoffs, Harris had his least impactful postseason performance with the 66ers, averaging just nine points on 33 percent shooting.
prediction: Harris found a new home in free agency this summer.
