Jazz Have Reportedly ‘Inquried’ 76ers About Tobias Harris Trade

Could we see the Jazz make a surprising move for the veteran Philadelphia forward this offseason?

Among the many veteran names thrown around in trade rumors around and after this NBA Draft cycle has been Philadelphia 76ers’ F Tobias Harris. After being traded to Philadelphia during the 2019 trade deadline, he's spent four and a half seasons with the franchise. He, along with the 'Trust the Process’ 76ers has notoriously yet to secure much success beyond the second round with the team surrounding Joel Embiid.

The long-standing place Harris has had on the roster brings questions to his state on the roster next season. He’s maintained a respectable four-year average of over 17 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, averaging 49/37/85 splits in his tenure with the team. However, we know that in the modern NBA, your spot on a roster is far from secure. Tobias Harris is certainly no exception.

According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Utah Jazz with many other teams have reached out to the 76ers to try and acquire Harris’s services. He enters the 2023-24 season on the last year of his deal set to make $39 million.

"The Sixers have been adamant that they’re not willing to trade Tobias Harris unless it drastically improves their team. They made that clear on draft night and don’t intend to change their stance. However, the

Phoenix Suns

,

Utah Jazz

, and

Dallas Mavericks

joined the previously mentioned

Cleveland Cavaliers

,

Indiana Pacers

, and

Detroit Pistons

as teams making inquiries about the 30-year-old’s availability, according to sources."

- Keith Pompey, via

The Philadelphia Inquirer

.

Surprisingly, there’s a robust market for the 30-year-old forward. The Jazz’s interest is conflicting with at least five other teams, with potentially even more not reported on. While the report indicates they won’t trade Harris without a drastic improvement to the roster, so much interest could shockingly develop enhanced trade offers from what we’d expect to see for a player of Harris’s caliber.

This is the part where the trade gets tricky, though. The 76ers seem to have a high asking price for Tobias. I’m not talking about the typical “high asking price” you see in a normal trade rumor report every other day. The 76ers are asking for an unfathomable return for the expiring Tobias Harris.

In the same report from Keith Pompey, he describes how the 76ers may have asked the Cavaliers for one of the most lop-sided trade packages in NBA history:

"Last week, sources told The Inquirer the Sixers are overvaluing Harris and asking for “outrageous packages in return.” That goes in line with what a source said the Sixers told the Cavs what it would take days before the draft: A package of Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and a draft pick. There’s no way the Cavs would consider making that deal, and the Sixers knew it."

- Keith Pompey, via

The Philadelphia Inquirer

.

If this is what it’s gonna take to add Tobias Harris to the Jazz, cross any chance of this happening off your off-season wish lists (if that idea was even in your wish list, to begin with). With only one year left on his existing contract combined with the lack of production last season, departing with even close to the level of package Philly offered to Cleveland would be braindead.

Whether Philadelphia was genuinely serious about offering that type of deal for Tobias Harris is unknown, as it could easily be a bargaining tactic for an opposing GM to overpay for Harris in a trade this offseason. The reluctance the 76ers front office has to trade him is apparent, meaning a trade to the Utah Jazz at this point feels unlikely.

With a long offseason ahead, the Jazz will come across numerous other opportunities to improve the roster; even if it means not trading for Tobias Harris.

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