Utah Jazz Likely Out on 76ers’ Tobias Harris After Recent Move

The Utah Jazz made a notable trade on Monday.

With free agency just days away, most of the focus surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers has been around James Harden, who is expected to decline his player option for next year. In the event Harden does the expected, he would become an unrestricted free agent.

Harden will be a player to keep a close eye on from a Sixers perspective over the next week or so, but so will the team’s veteran forward, Tobias Harris. While it’s unclear whether or not Harris requested a trade from the 76ers, his agent/father publicly criticized the organization for the way the veteran has been used over the years.

Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, Harris was one of the most popular names in the rumor mill. Before the draft fired up, three teams reportedly inquired about Harris. It was revealed the teams were the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

As expected, the draft came and went without Harris getting moved. And shortly after the draft, three more teams were linked to the veteran. The Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz reportedly inquired. However, two of those teams are more than likely already out on the Sixers' forward.

On Sunday, it was reported the Phoenix Suns are likely to keep their veteran center Deandre Ayton on board. Having several expensive contracts on payroll, including Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Ayton, the Suns would have a difficult time landing Harris without breaking up that core.

One day after it became clear the Suns were keeping Ayton, the Jazz made a trade to land a notable power forward, which should take Utah out of the Harris market as well.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Atlanta Hawks are sending John Collins to the Jazz in exchange for Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick. Collins, who’s been included in trade rumors for several seasons, finally gets a change of scenery for the first time in his professional career.

With the Jazz and the Suns likely out of the running for Harris, that leaves just four of the originally rumored suitors left. Considering the Sixers aren’t in a rush to move on from Harris, it could be a long offseason on the rumor front regarding the sharpshooting forward. And as long as inquiring teams find alternatives, Harris’ chances of beginning the 2023-2024 season with the Sixers continue to increase.