Philadelphia 76ers: Future outlook of Tobias Harris in Philadelphia

Does Tobias Harris’ contract impact his future outlook on the Philadelphia 76ers?

At this point, most of the Philadelphia 76ers player’s futures have been evaluated already. One player whose future hasn’t been dissected yet is Tobias Harris. Despite the fact he’s overpaid, Harris’ future in Philly should be long and good for years to come.

Last offseason, the Sixers overpaid to retain Harris in free agency when it was clear that they were going to lose Jimmy Butler, and as a result, Harris got paid $180 million over five-years. To be clear, Harris getting overpaid with a max contract wasn’t his fault, but the 76ers.

Before getting traded to Philly last season he was proving to be a borderline All-Star and has proved to be a very good third-wheel for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons since he arrived. During his time with the Sixers, he’s averaged 19.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, while shooting 35.2 on 3-pointers.

Harris’ future in Philadelphia.

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It’s clear that the Harris isn’t worth the max contract he’s being paid, but he’s also a very good player that can help the 76ers. He can score on all three levels on the court, be a solid rebounder, and has improved as a playmaker this season as well.

Unless Philly becomes a top two-team in the East, it seems unlikely he would become a third All-Star for the franchise next to Embiid and Simmons. It apears that he’s hit his peak as a player, but that also means he’s in his prime, which should run through this whole contract. While he can’t live up to a max deal, it doesn’t mean he can’t get close to the production that his contract is worth.

Now the Sixers are expected to hit some hard times with Harris, Embiid, Simmons, and Al Horford getting paid big money. If push comes to shove in the financial realm for the 76ers, the franchise could look to trade the combo forward.

Embiid and Simmons should be considered untouchable at this point. While I’ve written about a couple of trade destinations for Horford in the past, trading away an overpaid aging big man might prove to be too hard of a task for general manager Elton Brand. Despite being overpaid, trading Harris might be the easiest major move for Brand and Philly to make to help their potential money situation.

At this point, the Sixers should try everything in their power to trade Horford before considering trading away Harris. He’s a natural fit next to Simmons and Embiid while being in the prime of his career. Yes, he’s overpaid, but he still provides the 76ers with a lot and should stay with the franchise for a long time.

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Harris’ overpaid contract shouldn’t ruin what should be a bright future with the Philadelphia 76ers moving forward.