Tobias Harris is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there is a growing belief that he will not be back with the Philadelphia 76ers. If and when the two sides do part ways, another Eastern Conference team may move quickly to sign the veteran forward.
While Harris has been a productive starter in Philly with 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, he is the third or fourth option on the team and made nearly $40 million this season. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, several NBA executives believe Harris could leave the Sixers and sign with the Detroit Pistons this summer.
Plenty of other teams aside from the Pistons should have interest in the 31-year-old Harris. However, it is noteworthy that Detroit was linked to Harris early in the season amid their historically bad stretch of play, so it seems like they have been eyeing him for a while.
Harris struggled in the Sixers’ 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night. He went 4-of-10 shooting and missed all three of his three-point attempts, including a brutal airball late in the game. Harris was benched for the final four minutes of a close game after that miss.
As Pompey notes, Harris may simply no longer be a good fit in Philadelphia. He is probably better suited to be a second option with a team, which would make him more valuable in a place like Detroit.
For now, the Sixers are hoping to get the most out of their $40 million forward. If Joel Embiid can stay on the floor, Philadelphia has a great chance to upset the No. 2-seed New York Knicks in the first round — even after giving New York some serious bulletin-board material.
