Forward Tobias Harris recently signed a five-year, $180 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, a deal many people thought he wouldn't get. But Harris was always confident he would secure the bag, dating back to last summer.
Before being traded to the Sixers back in February, Harris played for the Los Angeles Clippers, who offered him a contract extension worth $80 million last offseason. He rejected the offer because he felt like he could get more by becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Why did Harris choose to leave $80 million on the table and head into uncertainty? In an interview with The Action Network's Darren Rovell, he explained that the reason behind it was a conversation he had with his father, Torrel Harris, who is also his agent:
“Me and my father had talked about it and he said, ‘Listen, I know next summer that I can get you close to a max deal. I’ve seen the way that you worked this summer,’ and for me, my confidence was sky high.”
Betting on himself certainly paid off. The Sixers committed the massive long-term deal to Harris, who put up 18.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game for the team last season. He was also instrumental in their playoff run, and Philly is putting its faith in Harris that he can be a franchise cornerstone on a title contender for years to come.
Next season, Harris will have to prove he's worth every single penny. He's clearly not someone who's new to proving himself to the world. He did it when he chose to walk away from the Clippers' extension offer and bet he could earn his way to a lucrative contract.
Tobias Harris is pretty confident he can do it again.
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