2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Tobias Harris: 5 years, $180 million (Philadelphia 76ers)
Free agent Tobias Harris plans to sign a five-year, $180M deal to return to Philadelphia, his agent and father of Torrel Harris of Unique Sports Management International (https://t.co/gcG6cfC4JG) tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2019
With Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick both on the move, the Philadelphia 76ers made sure to secure Tobias Harris with a huge five-year offer. While he was arguably the third-most important component to the Sixers’ success among that trio, he’s also a soon-to-be 27-year-old coming off a career year who’s gotten better each and every season.
Sure his scoring and 3-point shooting dropped off to 18.2 points per game and 32.6 percent in Philly, respectively, but it was only a 27-game sample size, and he was usually the fourth or fifth option behind Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Butler and Redick.
Now, the Sixers will desperately need the 43.4 percent shooting he posted from 3 in his 55 games with the Los Angeles Clippers before being traded. They’ll need his scoring punch, and they’ll definitely need his ability to switch between positions based on their followup moves.
It feels like a fairly inflated contract for a guy who was the fifth option on a contender last year, but once Redick and Butler were on the move, it became vital to bring him back. The 76ers took care of business, even if it comes with a massive price tag.
Grade: B-