Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2019: 20 best players available

By Brendon Kleen

Mandatory Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 09: Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after making a three point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter of Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Raptors 112-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 09: Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after making a three point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter of Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Raptors 112-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

8. Tobias Harris, F, Philadelphia 76ers, Unrestricted

Neither side of the Sixers’ trade for Harris looks particularly great in hindsight. After Landry Shamet’s explosion in the second half of the season and playoffs, as well as Miami’s continued malaise, the package Philadelphia had to give up to get Harris looks like an overpay.

Harris averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per 36 minutes as the Sixers’ starting power forward, but shot just .429/.349/.846 and struggled to show the same shot creation ability in Philly’s crowded starting lineup as he did in Los Angeles running the show for the Clippers. It looked, at the precise wrong time ahead of free agency, like the end of the night for Cinderella. However, Harris did continue to show that he can be a good floor-spacing and finishing option on a good team by sacrificing during the Sixers’ 12 playoff games.

The question that will dictate Harris’ future is whether teams buy into his near-All-Star-caliber performance as the No. 1 option for the Clippers following the Blake Griffin trade or see him more as a second or third option for a championship team. A big challenge with solidifying an answer to that question is that Harris has changed teams and roles so frequently that it’s difficult to know precisely what he is, even nearing age 27.

Most likely, Harris ends up as a second or third banana on a team that strikes gold on a superstar in free agency, whether that be the Nets, Knicks or Clippers. That could result in him getting overpaid as if he’s a max player, but he’s more than earned a payday, and there is too much money in the market this year and not enough elite-level talent. Harris will be the beneficiary of that discrepancy.

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