3 players the Sixers could trade in the offseason: Tobias Harris
Here’s the ultimate curveball. There’s a strong chance Morey looks at the roster, decides Tobias Harris is too important to trade, and then resolves to reshape the roster around Philly’s core four. That’s logical, as Harris played the best basketball of his career after the Harden trade. He finally bought into the 3-and-D role that suits his skill set and was Philly’s most consistent performer in the playoffs.
That said, Harris does have a pretty massive contract ($37.6 million next season, then $39.3 million in 2023-24). A contract not exactly in line with his impact on the court. If the Sixers get creative — and again, Morey is notoriously creative — the Sixers could clear max or near-max cap space in the offseason. That would start with dumping Harris into cap space (looking at OKC or Detroit) and probably letting Green’s contract expire.
The Sixers probably won’t have max free agent lining up to sign in Philly. There just aren’t many out there looking for a new home, and some of them (Bradley Beal, for example) don’t make a ton of sense next to James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers’ backcourt is set. That said, just because the Sixers clear up max cap space doesn’t mean they have to sign a max player. The Sixers could instead pursue multiple impact players on medium-sized deals to flesh out the roster and increase versatility. Would three $12 million players outstrip Harris in terms of value? Probably.
This would require real creativity and luck on the front office’s park, and it would also require willingness from James Harden to renegotiate and take less than the supermax. The odds strongly favor Harris returning for another season in Philadelphia. But, if the Sixers are desperate, getting rid of Harris’ contract is the one path to truly foundational change.