NBA Rumors: Sixers, Nets ‘Could Orchestrate’ Sign-And-Trade Deal Involving Joe Harris In 2020 Free Agency
Regardless of the outcome of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers are highly expected to make a huge roster overhaul this fall. The Sixers have plenty of issues that they need to address, including the need for major improvement in their perimeter shooting. One of the top targets for the Sixers in the 2020 free agency is Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets.
With the team currently buried deep in the luxury tax hell, some people may think that it would be impossible for the Sixers to go after a player of Harris’ caliber. Though he’s not an All-Star, Harris is expected to be one of the most coveted players on the free agency market this fall. However, according to NBA Insider Tom Haberstroh, as reported by NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Sixers could acquire Harris by engaging in a sign-and-trade deal with the Nets in the offseason.
“The Nets could orchestrate a complicated Joe Harris sign-and-trade to get him to Philly but it would likely require Philly giving up an asset like Matisse Thybulle in the deal. It’s hard to see the pathway to get a Harris-(Tobias) Harris swap (Tobias makes $34.3 million next season), but the Sixers should at the very least kick the tires on what it’d take to acquire the best free agent shooter on the 2020 market.”
Harris may not make them an instant favorite to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2020-21 season, but he would still be an incredible addition to the Sixers. He would immediately address the Sixers’ need for an efficient floor-spacer. So far, the 28-year-old shooting guard is averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Sharing the court with an elite three-point shooter would be beneficial for franchise cornerstones Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, as it would make it easier for them to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when they are trapped by the opposing team’s defense. The Sixers likely wouldn’t mind giving up a young and promising talent like Thybulle as long as it helps them solve one of the major problems on their roster and makes them more competitive in the Eastern Conference next year.
However, it remains a big question mark if they would be willing to sacrifice Tobias Harris to bring the veteran sharpshooter to the City of Brotherly Love. He may have failed to live up to expectations from the massive contract he signed last summer, but as NBC Sports Philadelphia noted, he’s an above-average player that helps the Sixers bind the team together with his leadership.
