Why did the Sixers sign Tobias Harris to a near-max salary? The market demanded it.
It's easy to call Harris overpaid and point to his salary as a hindrance for the Sixers. But the team didn't have many options when he signed the deal in 2019.
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People are often quick to forget why Tobias Harris received such a lucrative contract.
The five-year, $180 million deal he signed on July 10, 2019, to remain with the 76ers is the first thing his critics mention after he has a subpar game.
They question is how someone of his caliber could receive the salary of an perennial All-NBA star, and the benefits that come with it, when he has never made a single All-Star team? They wonder how a guy who will be the Sixers’ third or fourth option next season will have the team’s highest salary.
The answers are simple.
The Sixers had to pay him what they did when they did.
» READ MORE: Tobias Harris signs contract to remain with Sixers
They acquired Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers for a boatload of picks and players in a trade on Feb. 6, 2019. The Sixers would have looked foolish if Harris, who was an unrestricted free agent, left for another team.
They would have never lived down losing Harris after including two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and standout rookie Landry Shamet in a package. That would’ve been a lot of assets to relinquish for a 27-game rental.
If the Sixers didn’t bring him back at that salary, he would have signed with another team for a maximum salary.
The Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, and Brooklyn Nets were among the teams interested in the forward in free agency. All five teams could have offered maximum-salary contracts.
By trading for Harris, the Sixers acquired his Bird rights. That enabled them to offer him a five-year, $188 million max contract. He and the team agreed to sign for $8 million less.
Franchises that didn’t have Harris’ rights were able to offer a four-year, $142 million max contract in free agency. The Sixers knew they had to offer five years and close to the maximum for him to stay.
Being in demand gave Harris leverage. At the time, as is the case now, Joel Embiid was the Sixers’ unquestioned franchise player. Depending on the night or situation, Harris was, at best, the third or fourth option. However, he could have opted to go elsewhere and become the unquestioned focal point of a team.
Fast forward to this summer, and Harris, 29, has two seasons and $76.9 million remaining on his deal.
» READ MORE: Sixers’ James Harden opts out of deal, forgoes $47.3 million payday for free agency
The Sixers have publicly stated that they’re going to bring back their core of players, including Harris. However, privately, the team is once again trying to trade its fourth-leading scorer behind Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey.
They were unable to unload Harris before this season’s Feb. 10 trade deadline. Now, sources have said they’re looking to use his salary to fill some of the holes around Embiid and Harden on their roster.
Harris could finally be on his way out of Philly. But in the meantime, when you prepare to complain about his salary, think back to all the assets the Sixers surrendered to acquire him.