Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris (probably) isn’t going anywhere
A certain Philadelphia 76ers forward (probably) isn’t going anywhere.
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before, “Man, if the Philadelphia 76ers could swap out Tobias Harris for (insert player name here), they’d be so much better.”
At this point, the refrain has become like a well-worn chorus; as ubiquitous with Sixers fans as Ben Simmons‘ signature triumph emoji.
I’ll admit, I’ve said it too, today even.
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When Harris has the ball in his hands, the Sixers’ offense just… stops. At his best, Harris is a catch-and-shoot 3-and-D wing no different than Seth Curry or Danny Green; only he’s signed to one of the richest contracts in the NBA; a contract that pays the 28-year-old $11 million more than Curry and Green combined in 2020-21.
But when Harris is off, either because he’s getting too cute with the basketball, falling to make savvy decisions, or worst of all, playing a passive offensive game akin to his best buddy on the team, Matisse Thybulle, he’s quite possibly the most maddening max player you’ll ever see.
Surely if the Sixers could trade him away for a better fitting player – either a more offensively-minded combo forward with a closer’s mentality or a supersized sharpshooter who either takes a shot or passes out to a more open look – they’d be a noticeably better team. Heck, even if said player isn’t as good, just getting a scheme to fit would surely do Philly wonders.
Have you seen how well Curry and Green have played versus Al Horford and Josh Richardson last season? If the Sixers could do that to their power forward position with a player like Harrison Barnes, it could be game over.
Well, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, that’s (probably) not going to happen any time soon.
With Harris currently in the second year of a massive five-year, $180 million extension that runs through the 2023-24 NBA season, it’s pretty tricky to find a deal that would even work under the NBA’s financial stipulation, let alone one that involves only two players. There’s an argument to be made that it’d be even harder to find a team who views said contract as a plus asset and therefore wouldn’t require attaching additional assets to get a deal done.
Dumping Harris for 75 cents on the dollar is one thing, but having to surrender an additional asset – probably Thybulle – to get back a player like Kevin Love is a pretty tough pill to swallow. Mind you, Daryl Morey isn’t opposed to such a deal; that is how he got Horford off the books earlier this year after all, but who’s to say such a deal even exists?
Would the Magic rather have Harris than Aaron Gordon? What about the Charlotte Hornets? Would they flip Gordon Hayward for Harris if it also landed them Thybulle?
Yeah, I kind of doubt it.
No, as tough as it may be for a certain segment of the fanbase to admit – a segment that seemingly goes up and down at the inverse rate of his Real Plus-Minus – Harris’ best value is on the Sixers, even if that value is purely on the court and not in the trade machine.
From the most objective perspective as I can muster, Harris’ biggest issue since arriving in Philadelphia is his lack of a clearly defined role. When he first came over from the Clippers, Harris was purely utilized as a catch-and-shoot third offensive option behind Embiid and Jimmy Butler in the half-court. From there, Brett Brown effectively tasked Harris with taking over for Butler as a more active on-ball scorer, a look that helped him put up a career-high 19.6 points per game over a full season but arguably failed to provide the requisite element the offense was missing without Mr. Buckets on the sideline.
In 2020-21, Doc Rivers appears confident in Harris’ abilities but a bit unsure as to what role he’s best equipped to play.
On some plays, Harris has the ball in his hands for a dozen seconds. He’s mucking around in the mid-range, calling over bigs for screens, and attacking the basket for a contested two. On others, Harris is a passive wing option who passes out of a mildly contested look to force Embiid into double-team with single-digit seconds to go.
Now, in theory, having a selfless third option willing to take the game into his hands when needed and acquiesce to a team’s top offensive option is a pretty incredible find. Usually, when a player is being paid like a top guy, they want to be treated like one – a facet that has never developed in Harris despite a windfall of generational wealth last summer.
Could the Philadelphia 76ers have their cake and eat it too? Could Harris one day become an ideal outlet pass when Embiid is cooking and take the game over when his number gets called? Sure. Granted, usually NBA players are who they are by the time they hit 28, but it’s not unheard of for older players to learn new tricks. Just ask Brook Lopez, who developed a lethal 3 point shot in his ninth NBA season. But will he? That, my friends, is the $180 million question.
Next. Ben Simmons has revolutionized the triumph emoji. dark
If the Philadelphia 76ers are going to make good on their preseason expectations and give the Bucks, Nets, and Heat a run for their money as the top team in the Eastern Conference, they’re going to need to settle on an offensive hierarchy that works consistently. Who knows, maybe defining Tobias Harris’ role could be the key to unlocking his offensive potential before shipping him out of town as the focal point of a James Harden trade but honestly, I kind of doubt it. No, even with Elton Brand now taking a backseat to Daryl Morey, it would appear Tobias Harris is his gift that keeps on giving – one that won’t be regifted anytime soon.