We are now a little under a month away from the NBA trade deadline, and the rumor mill is slowly starting to swirl again. As expected, many eyes are on the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons. The three-time All-Star remains the biggest name on the trade market, and the basketball world is patiently waiting to see what Daryl Morey and the Sixers will do.
Throughout this months-long saga, little has changed in terms of the outlook on the situation. A similar group of teams has been linked to being interested in Simmons, and Morey continues to seek an All-Star caliber player in return for the former no. 1 pick. Recently, a new wrinkle came about this week as the deadline rapidly approaches.
Recent reports emerged that the Sixers have started to attack Tobias Harris to Simmons' trade discussions in attempts to get a deal done. Up until now, there have been zero rumblings of the team looking to move on from the 29-year-old forward.
Following the Sixers' 109-98 loss to the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night, Harris was asked his thoughts on seeing his name pop up in rumors. Based on his response, it does not appear he is fazed by the situation. “This is my 11th year in the NBA. It's not my first rodeo. It's not the first time I've been in trade rumors, and it probably won't be the last, so that's that,” he said.
With his rap sheet, it is not surprising Harris is unbothered at the sight of his name in rumors. If there is anyone who has a clear grasp on the nature of the business, it's him. Throughout his tenure in the NBA, Harris has been traded a total of five times.
Being the professional that he is, Harris answered the question as many would expect. He understands how things operate off the court but is not going to get caught up in it. To him, helping the Sixers win games on a nightly basis remains his top priority.
Harris has never really been the type of person to fuss over something as little as this. He understands how quickly his situation can change better than most and seems prepared to face whatever road is ahead. Like always, Harris is leading by example as the madness of NBA trade season is right around the corner.
The magnitude of the situation might actually keep Harris at ease. With him and Simmons being on max-level contracts, it would take multiple teams and moving parts to facilitate a trade. Given that a deal of this nature has never happened before, Harris is right in not getting caught up over one rumor.
With a guy like Morey running the show, anything is possible. He has built a reputation of swinging big moves and reshaping rosters in an instant. That being said, it feels unlikely we see a mega-deal involving Simmons and Harris together.
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