Did Trade Rumors Affect Sixers Forward Tobias Harris?

It's no secret the Philadelphia 76ers have explored the idea of trading Ben Simmons. Even before the three-time All-Star guard demanded a move over the summer, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey was reportedly willing to move the young star to Houston as the Sixers were suitors in the James Harden sweepstakes.

As we know, the Sixers never landed Harden and Simmons remained a member of the Sixers for the rest of the 2020-2021 season. Over the past year, Morey's had his hand in a few blockbuster trade discussions, but he hasn't moved a significant player since he got off the Al Horford contract ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.

If the Sixers participate in a blockbuster deal anytime soon, it will most certainly involve Simmons, as the young guard remains off the court with a desire to be moved.

But lately, another primary player on the Sixers' roster has been thrown into the rumor mill. In addition to Simmons, the Sixers are reportedly willing to move on from the veteran forward Tobias Harris as well.

Although the Sixers aren't actively shopping the forward, they have reportedly made it clear to teams that Harris is available. Harris, who just signed a long-term deal with the Sixers ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, seemed quite affected by the rumors following Wednesday night's loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

The Reaction

"Honestly, that's something I'd rather not talk about," said Harris after the game when asked about what to make of the recent trade noise. While Harris is typically open to having dialogue, the veteran admitted that he believes he spent too much time thinking about and discussing the recent rumors after they came out on Tuesday.

"It already took too much energy out of me yesterday, and I just moved on from that," he continued. "This is my 11th year in the NBA. This is not my first rodeo. This is not the first time that I've been in trade rumors, and it probably won't be the last, so that's that." 

Prior to joining the 76ers, Harris has bounced around the league. After getting selected 19th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA Draft, Harris was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on the same night. 

During his sophomore season in the NBA, Harris experienced his second trade as he was moved to the Orlando Magic in 2013. A few years later, the Magic traded Harris to the Detroit Pistons. Two years later, Harris was California-bound as he was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers next.

In the midst of his first full season with the Clippers, Harris was flipped to Philadelphia as the key piece in a blockbuster deal during the 2018-2019 run. After becoming a free agent following his first 39 games with the Sixers, Harris believed he found a long-term home in Philadelphia as he inked a max contract with the team during the summer of 2019.

While there is no guarantee Harris gets shipped off before the trade deadline is in place next month, it seems the rumors struck a nerve as Harris looked to avoid making a detailed public comment on the situation on Wednesday night.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.