This Mock Trade Sends Tobias Harris to Western Conference

The 2021-2022 NBA season is rapidly approaching. Training camp goes underway in just over a week, and the regular season commences in about a month. 

While this time of the year is considered a slow period, anything can happen. The staff at Bleacher Report recently came up with five blockbuster trade ideas for the final weeks of the offseason. 

Among the mock trades was one involving Tobias Harris getting sent to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for CJ McCollum. The Sixers acquiring McCollum has been a topic of conversation all offseason, but in exchange for Ben Simmons, not Harris. 

In reality, the Sixers should be in no rush to trade Harris. While some may not like the size of his contract, he was a vital part of the Sixers' success last season. Harris is coming off a career year and proved to be a consistent number two option behind Joel Embiid. 

Getting off Harris' sizable deal might be the only reason to move him, and swapping him for McCollum doesn't help that problem. Both of their contracts end following the 2023-2024 season. 

Since their time together in LA, Doc Rivers and Harris have built a strong relationship. No other coach has brought out the best in Harris the way Rivers does. It is not a coincidence that his best seasons have come with Rivers at the helm. Due to this strong connection between the two, it feels unlikely Harris is moved at this time. 

There is no denying that the Sixers should be eyeing a player like McCollum. He fits the team's timeline and provides a set of skills the roster has lacked in recent years. That said, it's doubtful the Sixers move on from one of their most consistent players from last season.

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.