Philadelphia 76ers: Are we sure Doc Rivers even likes Tobias Harris?

Just how committed are the Philadelphia 76ers to Tobias Harris?

Before the Philadelphia 76ers took the court for a March 1st bout against the Los Angles Clippers – a game that would forever be remembered for Shake Milton’s 39-point coming out party – Doc Rivers was asked about his relationship with his former player, Tobias Harris.

“He was just phenomenal when he was here,” Rivers said. “Very easy guy to coach.”

`Per our friends over at AllClippers, Rivers actually took things a step further as well, complementing Harris’ well-documented good-guy nature, saying, “Just a good guy. Forget the basketball player. Obviously he’s a terrific player, but just a really good guy to have on your team and in your organization. High character.”

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Boy, based on those comments alone, one would understandably assume that a reunion between Harris and Rivers could not be any better for the Sixers as they prepare for massive on-the-fly retooling.

Take a look at the stats, and that case becomes even stronger.

Over Harris’ 87 game tenure with the Clippers – split over two seasons – the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 20.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in an average of 34.6 minutes of action a night. Harris also shot 48.7 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.6 percent from the free throw line as the offense’s go-to number one option.

What do all of those numbers have in common? Well, they all just so happen to be career highs for the 28-year-old forward, a matter made all the more impressive when you consider just how meh he played in the back half of the 2018-19 season once he was traded from LA to Philly.

Factor in Harris’ status as the Sixers’ locker room leader – a position he only slightly abused to get better take out options from his rookie/best buddy Matisse Thybulle – and it’s not too far outside the realm of possibility to imagine Boban Marjanovic’s best friend finally shedding the ‘bust’ label that has unfortunately latched onto his name.

But, here me out, what if Doc Rivers actually doesn’t like Tobias Harris? What if he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers to coach Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and wouldn’t mind it one bit if his new partner in crime Daryl Morey traded the $180 million man for a better fitting piece on a less ‘poison pill-y’ contract?

Crazy stuff, right? Well, hear me out.

Despite the assumptions of many, Rivers didn’t actually trade for Harris during his tenure with the Clippers. He gave up front office duties in August of 2017, and Harris wasn’t traded until January of 2018. However, what Rivers did do was sign Blake Griffin to a max contract; which included a ceremony featuring his jersey hanging in the rafters of the Staples Center. While Rivers did reportedly sign off on the deal, which was pulled off by his long-time associate Lawrence Frank, he’s been outwardly displeased with how the process went down, especially since Griffin reportedly still refuses to talk to his former head coach.

Now whether you believe Rivers wanted to move on from Griffin in a post-Chris Paul world to institute a ground-up rebuild around young talent, or the Clippers genuinely believed Harris was a long-tier building block remains your prerogative, but what happened next mucked things up even further.

After establishing himself as the team’s best offensive option in 2017-18, Harris was well on his way to establishing a rapport with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Harris was a capable catch-and-shoot option on the wings, a willing pick-and-pop partner, and a perfect secondary option to supplement a 20-year-old point guard still getting his feet wet at the NBA-level. Assuming SGA was a franchise player, retaining Harris into the 2019-20 season made all of the sense in the world… only that isn’t what happened.

Elton Brand came calling in February of 2019, and in the wee hours of the day before the deadline, Harris was shipped to the Sixers alongside Marjanovic and Mike Scott in exchange for Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, Wilson Chandler, and a small fortune of future picks.

Interesting.

Again, maybe Brand just really wanted Harris and was willing to way overpay for his services? Maybe the Clippers knew Kawhi Leonard was about to hit free agency and were willing to risk losing Harris for a chance to bring him home? But whatever the reason, Harris was traded for the fifth time in his then-eight-year NBA career, and weirdly enough, the Clippers barely missed a beat.

I know, crazy, right? But it’s true. Down their best scorer, the Clippers went 18-9 down the stretch versus 30-25 with Harris on the roster – earning an unlikely spot in the 2019 playoffs even at the expense of their 2019 first-round pick.

So, in summation, Rivers not only didn’t trade for Harris but approved a deal to ship him away and subsequently watched his team play way, way better without him. Again, this could all be conjecture, but at what point does that stop being the case?

If Harris starts the 2020-21 season on the Sixers roster, plays the entire season on the Sixers’ roster, and is a Sixer for however long their playoff run may go, then everyone, Rivers included, will surely laud their relationship and call Tobi a long-term building block who too may one day see his jersey hanging in the rafters. But with Morey in place, it feels just as likely, maybe even more so, that he could be packaged with picks, players, or both to acquire a better-fitting piece and/or free up salary-cap space in the not too distant future.

Is there a world where Morey trades Harris to the Minnesota Timberwolves for D’Angelo Russell after the team selects LeMelo Ball first overall? What about flipping Harris in everyone’s dream trade for Buddy Hield? There are already rumors that the Dallas Mavericks could be interested in Harris’ services. Is there a package that could reunite the forward with his best friends in the Lone Star State?

Buckle up, Philly fans; this whole situation just got a bit more interesting.

Next. Lonzo Ball is a perfect Doc Rivers point guard. dark

As weird as it is to say, Tobias Harris is an Elton Brand guy. He was traded for by Elton Brand, was extended by Elton Brand, and has consistently been praised by Elton Brand. While Doc Rivers did coach Harris for parts of two seasons in 2018 and 2019, there’s no guarantee he is still a part of the Philadelphia 76ers’ plans now that Daryl Morey is in place. If a better-fitting piece can be had for his services, I imagine Rivers would sign off on the deal in a heartbeat, just like he did in Los Angeles 18 months prior.