It looked like things might’ve been shaping up for a big Sixers trade last week leading up to the draft, but that wasn’t the case. The NBA Draft came and went with Philadelphia’s roster remaining intact.
However, that doesn’t mean that a trade won’t occur. Rumors are swirling around forward Tobias Harris and the Sixers could still pull the trigger on a deal involving the wing.
Kyle Neubeck and Elliot Shorr-Parks of the Audacy Original Podcast “Clap Your Hands” discussed the Harris landscape and how they’d feel about the Sixers running it back next season.
“You have to let it play out. We can’t say because they didn’t make a trade on draft night – some of the trades didn’t appear to actually be there the way people thought it was based on other reporting,” Neubeck said (12:05 in player above). “It’s just not smart to throw the team out and say ‘Oh, the offseason’s ruined’ or ‘They’re doing the wrong thing’ because they didn’t trade him for 10 cents on the dollar.”
Shorr-Parks echoed that same sentiment.
“I think there’s this section of the fanbase – I love rumors, I love trades, so I completely understand the desire to have something – but they’re like frothing at the mouth to get rid of Tobias and I just don’t get the sense from the team that that’s where the team is at,” hesaid. “I think that’s the correct way to go about it. This is probably also rooted in that I feel like the team is better than most.
“I think if they bring back the exact same roster, obviously the bench will be different in certain ways, but the core … I think they could win the title next year. I think they’re certainly in that conversation of teams that can do it.”
Some have likened the Harris situation to that of Ben Simmons from a few years ago. However, the Sixers aren’t counting on Harris to be a key cog like they were with Simmons.
“With Ben, when Ben wasn’t playing, we knew that team wasn’t good enough without Ben to win the title. So there was more of an urgency to go change the roster and make something happen,” Shorr-Parks continued. “There’s a pushback to running it back. I don’t think running it back would be a massive mistake or a wasted season.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a wasted season but I would understand the animosity they get from the fanbase for doing so,” Neubeck replied. “That’s the part I understand. I’m not sitting here casting judgment on the fanbase for wanting something to change.”
Running it back would understandably run some people the wrong way, but there is always the chance of an in-season trade involving Harris. It’s also still June, so there is plenty of time before the season tips off in October.
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