NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 potential destinations for Tobias Harris

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 5: Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Toronto Raptors during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 5, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 20: Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers lays up a shot against Jared Dudley #6 of the Brooklyn Nets during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

2. Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets’ decision to salary-dump Allen Crabbe to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this month sent a strong message to the rest of the league: They’re going after the biggest free-agent fish this summer.

If the Nets renounce the rights to all of their incumbent free agents — including All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell — they’ll now be able to carve out enough salary-cap space to offer two max contracts to players with no more than nine years of NBA experience. With Kyrie Irving and Brooklyn reportedly holding “strong mutual interest,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets may soon be hunting for a superstar sidekick.

Harris got an up-close-and-personal view of what the Nets have to offer in their first-round loss against the Sixers, during which they stole Game 1 on the road and battled fiercely for most of the series. Although Philadelphia largely bottled up Russell by shifting 6’10” point forward Ben Simmons onto him, Brooklyn guard Spencer Dinwiddie and swingman Caris LeVert caused all sorts of trouble for the Sixers.

In late May, SNY’s Ian Begley reported “throughout the regular season, some people close to Harris viewed the Nets as a strong destination.” A few weeks earlier, Brian Lewis of the New York Post noted Brooklyn had “long coveted Harris, and his stellar plus-18.4 in their first-round series — highest on either team — only solidified that interest.”

Regardless of whether the Nets land Irving or retain Russell, they’ll be set in terms of backcourt scoring with one of those two plus Dinwiddie and LeVert. They need a more potent offensive weapon at the 4 to complement second-year center Jarrett Allen, as none of DeMarre Carroll, Jared Dudley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson or Rodions Kurucs provided the consistent pop they needed at that spot.

Although Harris got somewhat lost in the mix in Philadelphia, he’s plenty capable of assuming a hefty scoring load. Pairing him with Irving or Russell could turn the Nets into a top-four team in the East next season, which should be one of their primary selling points to him in free agency.

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