3 best landing spots for Tobias Harris if he leaves the Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris has again found himself involved in trade rumors, as the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for the start of the 2023 free agency on Friday, June 30.
Harris is entering the final year of the lucrative five-year, $180M extension he signed in 2019 and is set to earn $39.2M in the 2023/24 season. His salary is considered by many teams as overvalued and makes it difficult for interested teams to engage in serious talks with the Sixers.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, several teams have expressed interest to trade for Tobias Harris, but the Sixers are asking for outrageous packages in return.
While Philadelphia is in no rush to move on from the veteran forward, they would welcome a trade as a relief in the salary cap.
Here are the three best landing spots for Tobias Harris should he leave the Sixers:
#3, Oklahoma City Thunder
Trading for Tobias Harris would allow the Oklahoma City Thunder to add a veteran forward to their young locker room and claim future draft picks. Such a package could convince the Sixers, as they would get rid of Harris' massive contract without sending him to a contender.
The Thunder would get draft picks, which they could use to pursue a superstar in the coming years, while Tobias Harris' all-around game could give them an extra boost next year.
#2, Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers were one of the most pleasant surprises in the first part of the NBA season, but their mid-season collapse cost them a spot in the playoffs.
The Pacers are in need of a power forward, which is Tobias Harris' ideal position, but this could include moving Buddy Hield (assuming that Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin and Myles Turner are untouchable).
Although it would have been interesting to see a lineup that includes Harris, Haliburton, Hield and Turner, only the addition of a third team would make sense here.
The Pacers don't have the assets to trade for Harris at the moment, so they would need to make it a multi-team trade to convince the Sixers.
#1, Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns could be an ideal destination for Tobias Harris, who is still in pursuit of his first NBA championship and wants to keep playing for a contender.
The Suns traded for Bradley Beal last week and created their own Big Three with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They now are in search of the players that will surround the superstar trio in the lineup and view Harris as a great fit.
His salary makes it complicated for Phoenix to put together a package, so the trade wouldn't be possible without a third team getting involved. In that case, the Suns would have to move DeAndre Ayton to land Harris.
Meanwhile, new Phoenix head coach Frank Vogel would use Harris as the fourth option on offense. The veteran forward has been familiar with that role in the Sixers, where he played alongside Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Tobias Harris averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 74 matches last season, helping Philadelphia finish third in the Eastern Conference. They reached the conference semi-finals, while Harris averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds over 11 playoff games.