Sixers Player’s Quote Suggests Tobias Harris is Good Match for Pistons

Tobias Harris could help the Detroit Pistons through their developmental years.

Apr 22, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) dribbles / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Pistons have money to spend in free agency this season. For the last few months, they have been frequently linked to the Philadelphia 76ers forward, Tobias Harris.

Years ago, Harris was an up and coming sharpshooter in the NBA, who was bounced around after becoming a first-round pick out of Tennessee.

When he had multiple stops before landing in Philadelphia, Harris had a stint with the Pistons from 2016 to 2018. At the 2018 trade deadline, Harris was sent packing to LA in the trade that netted the Pistons Blake Griffin.

Over time, Harris found personal success and eventually landed himself a max contract with the Sixers after they traded for him in 2019. For the last five years, Harris started in over 350 games for Philadelphia.

With his contract expiring this offseason, the expectation around the league is that Harris will test the free agency market for the first time since 2019. And many believe the Pistons could be at the front of the line for his services.

There might be questions about the Pistons’ interest in Harris. Considering he’s 31 years old, and has played on a playoff contender throughout his entire tenure in Philadelphia, Harris would be joining a much different situation in Detroit, as the Pistons have struggled to put together a winning season in recent years.

But one young Sixer’s recent quotes on Harris prove that the veteran forward could be an ideal match for a rebuilding Pistons team.

When asked about which veteran in Philadelphia had the most impact on his first NBA season, undrafted rookie Ricky Council IV put the spotlight on Harris.

“He was real big for me,” Council said, according to Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.

“All he was giving me was advice and helping me,” Council later added. “When we’re at halftime, be the first one out.’ There’s a lot of things. I can’t even put everything into words, but he’s helped me a lot. He gets a lot of hate, and I don’t know where it comes from. He’s a really good person.”

Harris’ run with the Sixers often led to criticism, considering he was playing on a max contract and struggling to see his solo production live up to the contract’s salary. With that, his leadership for younger veterans was often overshadowed.

Council is just the latest developmental player on the Sixers to credit Harris for being a valuable veteran, which once again offers an example of why Harris could be helpful to Detroit’s development next season.