Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris‘ tenure at the Wells Fargo Center is likely to come to an end this season. After the Sixers’ embarrassing first-round exit against the New York Knicks, Harris is likely to move on as a free agent in the off-season. The 31-year-old’s performance in this year’s playoffs has earned him some serious flak from NBA experts and Sixers fans. One of the most prominent critics of Harris in this regard was NBA star turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins.
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In a recent episode of First Take, Perkins blasted Harris for not delivering on his potential when his team needed him the most. In his 29 minutes of floor time for the Sixers in Game 6, Harris was held scoreless by the Knicks. The forward only averaged an underwhelming 9 points throughout the series. Roasting Tobias Harris with a hilarious analogy, Perk said,
“About Tobias Harris, let him go. I mean, damn! He asked them [the 76ers] if they wanted something from Chick-fil-A before the game, the team told him yes. And he came back with a bag full of napkins and straws. He was just a no-show at the [game].”
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Seems like TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal also agrees with his competitor network’s analyst on this take. Shaq often shares the posts of hot takes that he agrees with on his Instagram stories. This time, Shaq must have found some sense in Perk’s take, which propelled him to share the same on his IG story.
Shaq puts up Perkins' wild diss directed towards Tobias Harris pic.twitter.com/KRgPNZu9bw
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) May 4, 2024
With Tobias Harris’ departure, the 76ers could maximize around $55.5 million worth of cap space. Though Harris has been a reliable starter for the Sixers, he failed to live up to the fans’ expectations as a third star in title contender team. The 76ers star’s contract will end this year.
Harris’ underwhelming show in the playoffs also earned him some serious flak from former coach Sam Mitchell. However, despite this letdown, the market remains competitive for Harris in the free agency.
Tobias Harris bashed by former coach Sam Mitchell
Former NBA player and coach Sam Mitchell looked visibly frustrated after Tobias Harris’ scoreless outing against the Knicks in Game 6 of their playoffs series. Mitchell was particularly concerned with Harris’ performance, given he was earning around $40 million in an year. In an appearance on ESPN, the veteran coach said,
“You’re talking about a guy making around 40 million dollars. He’s supposed to be their third best player. He’s supposed to be that guy.”
It is becoming increasingly clear that Thursday’s game was perhaps the last game Harris would play in a Sixers uniform. However, an underwhelming performance doesn’t mean that the Sixers forward isn’t in demand in the free-agency market.
As a skilled forward averaging 14+ points for 10 consecutive seasons, teams such as the Detroit Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs have the cap space that could potentially fit Harris within their systems.
