Tobias Harris does not want people to assume his father’s thoughts are his own. And the 76ers’ starting forward is taking the latest trade speculation about him in stride, adding he is looking forward to returning to Philly under new coach Nick Nurse.
While appearing at Tuesday afternoon’s Fanatics “Merch Madness: Fan Gear Giveaway” — a basketball skills camp and merchandise event for underserved Philly-area children at the Wells Fargo Center — Harris spoke candidly about his name again floating as the NBA’s offseason transaction cycle shifts from the draft to free agency.
“Casual Sixers fans, they’ll trade me for a Crumbl Cookie,” said Harris, who is an ambassador for the brand. “But at the end of the day, they have to realize that you’re not getting a 6-9 forward back who can damn near shoot 40 percent from 3, guard the other team’s best player, shoot, post up, drive and play 70-plus games a year. …
“I’m excited to come back, bring this group back, add a few pieces that help us out as a whole team and be ready to win.”
Harris has been in a bevy of trade rumors in recent seasons, largely because of what some believe to be a significant gap between his production and the five-year, $180 million contract he signed in 2019. Last season, he averaged 14.7 points per game — his lowest mark since 2015-16 — along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 50.1% from the floor and 38.9% on 4.4 three-point attempts per game.
Harris’ deal is now expiring entering the 2023-24 season, which theoretically makes it easier to move should the Sixers look to add more complementary depth — especially if star guard James Harden leaves in free agency. After multiple teams inquired about Harris in recent weeks, The Inquirer reported that the Sixers are content to keep him entering the season.
Torrel Harris, Tobias’ father and agent, recently responded to criticism about his son by saying on the “Business of Sports” podcast that “Tobias is an assassin scorer. … Ever since they traded him to the Sixers [in 2019], they put him in a corner.” Yet Tobias Harris said Tuesday that he understood entering last season that he would be the Sixers’ fourth offensive option behind eventual NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, Harden and ascending guard Tyrese Maxey. Tobias Harris added that he told his father, “that, as a dad and agent, not to speak for me when it comes to the media.”
“My dad, he’s my No. 1 fan,” Harris said. “If you asked him who’s better, me or prime Michael Jordan, he’ll tell you [it’s] me. When I’m a father, I’m going to tell my kid he’s better than LeBron James. … Obviously, he has his viewpoint on that, but that’s not the way that I see it. I knew going into last year what my role was. …
“[Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers] wanted me to be the guy on the team that was a stable piece, to sacrifice and to be able to do other things on the floor. That was why I was guarding the other team’s best player. [I needed to] be able to adapt and change my game in terms of being more of an effective shooter.
“Just playing that type of basketball, I was OK with that role. I never complained about it. And at the end of the day, I knew, for us to win, it was going to take sacrifice from our group.”
Harris added that “of course” he hopes Harden opts to come back to the Sixers, because “there’s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game” (which Harden did twice in the Sixers’ seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics in the second round). Harris also said he took about five days off following the season’s end — then got yelled at by his wife for “always working out on vacation” — and is now prioritizing shooting, decision-making, remaining in top shape and becoming “an even better two-way player.” He described “great” initial conversations with Nurse about style of play and how he fits into the systems the coach will bring to Philly.
“Love him so far,” Harris said of Nurse. “A straightforward guy. He’s just going to expect the world of us as a team. … Ball movement, body movement, getting guys to get out and run — those are all things that I’ve done my whole career, so I’m excited for it.”
Spoken like a player who, despite being in trade rumors yet again, plans to be a Sixer for the 2023-24 season.
“I believe we have the right talent to be a championship team, and we have the right pieces and the right culture,” Harris said. “With a new coach, I’m excited for what we’re going to bring to the table. … Every year in the NBA, teams shake up. And sometimes, the teams that stay together and build their culture, build their chemistry, those are the ones that prevail.”
