According to Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer, the Sacramento Kings are expected to be a suitor for Tobias Harris. If so, he should be their top priority in free agency.
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly going to be courting Tobias Harris this summer and they should do so over anyone else — even if it means throwing him a max contract. But they’ll have some serious competition for his services.
In addition to the Kings, the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets are all reportedly in the hunt for Harris’ services and all five teams can offer Harris a four-year, $141 million maximum contract. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have his Bird Rights, can offer him a five-year, $188 million max contract.
A 6’-9”, 235-pound forward, Harris would fit perfectly into the Kings’ lineup, where he’d likely spend most of his time at power forward, sliding in between the likely to return Harrison Barnes and the First Team All-Rookie Marvin Bagley III should the Kings sign him.
More from A Royal Pain
- 3 Ways Chris Duarte improves the Kings chances in 2023-24
- 5 Players the Sacramento Kings never should have signed
- Bleacher Report crazily lists Kings’ All-Star as “most overrated NBA player”
- Kings and Heat fans clash on Twitter to debate All-Star players
- Sacramento Kings’ Chris Duarte playing in 2023 FIBA World Cup
Harris is an elite shooter, as was documented by ARP here, and he’s just 26-years-old and averaged 20 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 48.7% shooting from the floor, 39.7% from three and 86.6% at the line. He’s also a capable defender, but more importantly, he’s a needle-moving player.
Harris is the exact type of player you’d want on the Sacramento Kings to help push them into the playoffs and a Harris-Barnes-Bagley-De’Aaron Fox-Buddy Hield lineup would be impossible to contain on offense, with each player capable of scoring in bunches and rebounding at a high-level.
The 76ers gave up four draft picks and hot-shooting rookie Landry Shamet to acquire Harris at the trade deadline, so its likely they’ll do everything they can do retain him. If Harris is looking for a change of scenery, the Sacramento Kings should be at his home backing up the Brinks Truck at 6 p.m. on June 30 when free agency opens.
It may be difficult for the Kings to separate themselves from the other suitors, especially since four of which (including the 76ers) were playoffs teams last season. Still, Harris has been a star player for most of his career, but hasn’t been able to find a home in the NBA, playing for five teams since he was drafted in 2011.
The Inquirer though, also noted that Harris is looking for a place with good chemistry and that’s one area the Kings stand out from their competitors. The chemistry in Sacramento is top-notch and Harris might be more than happy to come to a team and fan base that would truly accept him — a place he can call home.