3 Realistic trade destinations where the 76ers can send Tobias Harris

The Philadelphia 76ers are owners of an impressive 15-7 win-loss card to start the season behind the strong play of Joel Embiid, who’s still playing at an MVP level, and Tyrese Maxey, who has swiftly become an elite backcourt force for the franchise. Clearly, the team remains a solid contender despite stale projections before their campaign began.

Tobias Harris remains part of that core, but looking at the team’s strong and weak points, it’s becoming more apparent by the day that his days in Philly could be numbered despite what the front office says. Nevertheless, he’s on an expiring deal, and there is little sense for the 76ers to re-sign him next year, making a trade the ideal route for the club to avoid losing him for nothing.

Here are three trade destinations where the 76ers can send Harris to.

3 Realistic trade destinations where the 76ers can send Tobias Harris

1. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have won four of their last five games, but their outlook remains unlikely to change — that their roster is simply too mediocre to go toe to toe with the powerhouses and up-and-comers in the East alone. For that reason, many believe that Chicago will be the host of the proverbial and annual NBA fire sale.

Now, why would the Bulls trade for Tobias Harris give that the inevitable rebuild is creeping in Chicago? Well, they are not really trading for him. Instead, they can view the 76ers as an ideal trade partner if Philly wants to go after either Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan and shoehorn Harris into the discussion as the prime salary matcher.

Harris will definitely not be enough, but his expiring deal with give the Bulls cap relief and assets (for LaVine) or the leverage to extract future-oriented assets (for DeRozan). The veteran may not be a tangible return for Chicago, but he is a gauntlet toward a quick pivot for a franchise currently in a state of flux.

Possible returns: Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan