The New York Knicks could have swooped in to work a deal for Tobias Harris after they swiftly missed out on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who bolted for the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks had $70 million in cap space and could have had a consolation prize in Harris, whom the Philadelphia 76ers re-signed for $180 million over five years.
For the sharpshooter, that what-if scenario is not worth spending a breath on.
“That would have been a whole what-if scenario with my [agent], but we got a deal done with the Sixers,” said Harris when asked about the chance to play for the Knicks by Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. “I don’t play for Knicks, so I don’t really care about the Knicks. I’m not gonna waste my energy or my air sweating that.”
Harris could have made as much as $190 million over five years as a max-level player, but took $10 million less, which aided their cause to sign big man Al Horford to a four-year, $109 million commitment after executing a sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler.
The Knicks could have only doled out a four-year, $142 million deal for Harris, not nearly as much as the Sixers were able to pay him, nor as enticing a proposition as being part of a playoff-bound team.
New York is still rebuilding, but Philly is on the verge to claim its stake in a wide-open East, and Harris can play a prominent role in that goal, now that he's secured the bag for the foreseeable future.
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