Tobias Harris Trade Rumors: Kings 'Have No Interest' in 76ers PF in Ben Simmons Deal
January 20, 2022
The Sacramento Kings reportedly do not have interest in Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris as part of a hypothetical deal also involving 76ers point guard Ben Simmons, per Sam Amick of The Athletic:
Sam Amick @sam_amickMore from the Sacramento front: Source says the Kings have no interest in taking back forward Tobias Harris in a Ben Simmons deal with Philly. Sac still sees a pathway to Simmons - although the Fox update from <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> seemingly makes it even harder<a href="https://t.co/nv2lUqXIQ8">https://t.co/nv2lUqXIQ8</a>
Amick previously reported on The Athletic NBA Show podcast Monday (h/t Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia) that the Kings were at least considering the idea: "The Kings, I believe, are actually pondering the idea of doing Simmons and Harris. I don't think that's off the table."
It appears the Simmons-Harris combo is off the table now for Sacramento, which is currently 11th in the Western Conference standings with an 18-28 record as the Feb. 10 trade deadline approaches.
The Kings likely need to do something to shake up the team prior to the deadline, but their top two assets (De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton) are the best players on the team and their best chance to finally make the playoffs after a 15-year dry spell. Ultimately, Sacramento is in a tough spot as the Kings look to break out of the bottom half of the Western Conference.
As for the 76ers, they are 25-18 and have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games despite playing without Simmons, who has sat for the entire year after a preseason trade request led to his ongoing holdout.
He briefly returned to the team in October and took part in multiple practices, but head coach Doc Rivers kicked him out of one after Simmons refused to take part in a drill. He was suspended for one game.
Simmons soon told the team that he was not mentally ready to play and needed to step away from the team, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
He has not been back since, and Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports) said on Nate Duncan's podcast that he spoke with an official from Klutch Sports (Simmons' representation) who said that there's "no chance" Simmons comes back to play for the team even if he isn't traded by the deadline.
Trading Simmons is tricky considering his five-year, $177,243,360 contract, which runs through 2025. He's a three-time All-Star and a defensive menace at his best, but his offensive limitations (namely the lack of a three-point shot) have hurt him.
As for Harris, he's on a five-year, $180 million contract that runs through 2024. After scoring 19.5 points on 51.2 percent shooting last year, Harris is posting 18.1 points on 45.7 percent shooting this season. The 29-year-old is still a potent scoring threat, but he arguably hasn't lived up to his lofty contract, thereby making him a potential addition in a trade package.
Despite the ongoing Simmons drama, All-Star center Joel Embiid, Harris and the 76ers are still faring well of late as they sit just 2.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for first in the East. We'll soon find out what Philadelphia does (if anything) as it looks to contend this year, with the deadline just three weeks away.