2019 NBA free agency: Predicting where the top free agents will land
Tobias Harris: Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris is the most difficult free agent to predict on this entire list, if only because he’ll have a plethora of options to choose from. While the heavy-hitters around the league focus on the elite superstars like KD, Kawhi and Kyrie, middle-of-the-pack teams and on-the-rise squads will set their sights on more realistic, second/third tier names like Harris.
According to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, nine teams are interested in his services: the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.
That’s a ton of potential avenues to sift through, but because the Sixers are reportedly confident they can retain Tobias Harris, and because they can offer him more money than anyone (regardless of Jimmy Butler’s decision), we’ll slot him in for a return to Philly.
Philadelphia has been privately expressing confidence around NBA that it can re-sign Butler and Tobias Harris, but Houston remains on case of selling Butler/76ers with a sign-and-trade scenario once free agency starts on Sunday. https://t.co/xk3vLdDCGn
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2019
Butler’s potential to return to the City of Brotherly Love seems cloudier than it did last week, but given the way Harris’ output (18.2 points per game) and 3-point efficiency (32.6 percent) dipped with the 76ers, perhaps a Jimmy Buckets departure would actually make re-signing more enticing for both parties — the Sixers in desperation to retain talent, and Harris for being able to build on a career year.
If Butler re-signs, the Sixers could sell Harris on the prospect of playing for a title contender in a wide open Eastern Conference, especially with a whole summer to jell this time around. Either way, Harris feels like the free agent Philly has the best odds of re-signing.