Kofi Inkoom
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, both the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are keen on adding Tobias Harris to their roster in free agency.
“I’m told that the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are expected to be the strongest suitors for Harris going into free agency,” Charania reported on Monday via Stadium.
Despite his consistent performance in recent seasons, Harris has struggled to justify the hefty five-year, $180 million contract he signed with Philadelphia back in 2019.
In the 2023-24 season, he started in 70 games, averaging 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with shooting percentages of 48.7% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc.
During the 76ers’ disappointing first-round playoff exit at the hands of the New York Knicks, Harris played a subdued role, scoring only 9.0 points per game in 36.3 minutes across six games.
The Jazz already have Lauri Markkanen, an All-Star forward, but he has demonstrated flexibility by occasionally playing at center.
However, fitting Harris into the rotation might pose a challenge for head coach Will Hardy, especially with John Collins still on the roster for the 2024-25 season, although sources suggest Collins could be traded this summer.
Harris is no stranger to Detroit, having played 157 games with the Pistons from 2016 until he was traded in 2018.
While Harris, 31, may not align perfectly with the Pistons’ long-term strategy, they are looking to build around Cade Cunningham after finishing the 2024 season with the league’s worst record of 14 wins.