Report: Pistons eyeing Sixers' Tobias Harris

Sixers forward Tobias Harris is in the middle of his best statistical season since 2021-22, excelling as the third option behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in Nick Nurse's offense. Yet, there's a cloud of uncertainty over his future in Philadelphia -- and for good reason.

Harris, 32, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and several insiders have suggested that the Daryl Morey-led Sixers front office has no intention to overpay him. The Sixers could potentially create up to $50 million in cap space this summer, allowing Morey to go big-name hunting via free agency or even a trade. As such, trading Harris could be a best-case scenario for the Sixers, especially in the wake of Joel Embiid's potentially season-ending surgery.

According to The Athletic’s James Edwards III, the Pistons have expressed interest in reuniting with Harris, who played nearly two seasons for them from 2016-18. The report noted the Pistons are "on the fence" about giving up any type of asset or player for Harris, considering they have the option of signing him via free agency.

"Harris has personal connections to Detroit and relationships with several in the front office and coaching staff. Depending on Philadelphia's asking price for Harris, it might make more sense for the Pistons to just sit it out until this summer," Edwards wrote.

In a hypothetical scenario, the Sixers would be thrilled to acquire the cap-friendly and expiring contracts of Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris and Alec Burks to pull off the trade. While Bogdanovic's final year is partially guaranteed, both Morris and Burks will come off the books over the summer, allowing Morey to stick to his plan of creating ample cap space. 

If history is any indicator, Morey tends to be active at the NBA trade deadline. With at least three tradeable first-round picks and several expiring contracts to work with, Morey has the ammunition to make a splash.

As for the Pistons, they, too, have the potential to open up over $50 million in cap space this summer, with many of their expiring contracts coming off the books.