Sixers' Tobias Harris Reveals Message for Young Players in Trade Rumors

Sixers veteran forward Tobias Harris has a message for the young players involved in trade rumors.

Every year as the NBA trade deadline approaches, rumors around the league tend to grow louder and louder. While many rumored deals eventually come to life, not every possible scenario discussed becomes a reality. 

Some players might hear their names in the trade rumors for days, weeks, and maybe even months before approaching the deadline, and it could take a toll on their mental as the season progresses -- especially if they're a young player without any history of being traded in the NBA.

Philadelphia 76ers veteran forward Tobias Harris can always relate to young players who get thrown in the mix of trade rumors. After all, he's 28-years-old and has been traded four times in his ten-year career. 

Now that he's thriving on a max contract with the Sixers, Harris is no longer in the trade rumors these days. Instead, he's a primary leader on his squad, and somebody who the younger players might go to for advice as the rumors grow louder and the deadline inevitably arrives.

"Obviously, it's one of those times of the year, but you'll face it every single year," Harris said after Tuesday night's game in regards to trade rumors. "My advice is just to stay in the moment right now. You can't really control what's going on and what you hear. I'm not making any assumptions and putting that in their head, but my biggest advice is just stay right here in this moment."

According to several Sixers, trade talks aren't really a hot topic within the locker room right now, which is good. At this moment, the Sixers lead the entire Eastern Conference, and chemistry is at an all-time high. Trade rumors could typically cause distractions, but the few players who've consistently shown up in rumors are fortunately keeping their focus on the Sixers -- not the what-if scenarios.

"Nobody knows what can happen," Harris continued. "I know from experience that it is part of this game, and it's just part of the NBA. So, it's just one of those things." The NBA trade market will close its doors for the rest of the season on Thursday afternoon.

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