Imagine hearing a few seasons back that Tobias Harris would end up tied to one of the league’s most underrated player acquisitions in a front-office survey. For Philadelphia 76ers fans, that would have sounded impossible. But in 2026, that’s exactly where the conversation lands, with the San Antonio Spurs getting a league-high 20% of the votes in that category because of Harris.
That twist would have been hard to see coming in Philadelphia. Harris’ tenure there was defined by cost as much as production, and the size of the deal always hung over everything. The Sixers committed to him with a five-year, $180 million contract after watching him in 27 games, and there was never much debate about whether that was too rich for the return.
He stayed for the full five years, and by the end, all sides were ready for a clean break. Harris then entered free agency and signed a $52.0 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, a shorter contract that gave him a chance to reset his image around the league after being tagged as overrated for years.
The production never became eye-popping, but the value shifted. In Philadelphia, Harris averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 36.9% from three.
In Detroit, he finished with 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and a 35.5% mark from deep. The numbers were still useful, just attached to a far more manageable price tag.
The mood followed suit: in Philly, they were eager for him to leave; in Detroit, they hated to see him go.
That reset was on display in the playoffs, where Harris gave the Spurs a very obvious reason to pursue him. During a 14-game run with the top-seeded Pistons, he was arguably the team’s second-best player behind All-Star Cade Cunningham. He averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in the postseason, and his experience helped Detroit win its first series since 2008.
Now San Antonio is counting on Harris to bring that same value to the Western Conference Champions in 2026-2027. It’s a sharp turn from how his name used to be viewed in Philadelphia.
The Sixers, for their part, won’t have much reason to look back bitterly. Their offseason addition Dean Wade picked up some votes in the underrated category, and they also landed two players - LeBron James and Jaylen Brown - who showed up in the most impactful category. Brown and LeBron might not fit the underrated label, but they certainly helped Philadelphia generate plenty of buzz after its blockbuster offseason.
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Fall is the one still worth watching closely. The big man later earned a two-way contract for the upcoming season, and the fit is easy to understand with Philadelphias need for help at center. For Fall, it is another chance to turn size into opportunity, and for the 76ers it is another low-risk attempt to uncover a useful piece in a part of the roster that can get thin fast. [Read more 🡒]
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The early schedule does them no favors, with a string of tough matchups waiting right away, and the depth chart behind the starters already looks shaky. Several backup centers are dealing with injuries, so Philadelphia could open the year leaning on players who are either limited or still shaking off rust, a combination that can make the first few weeks look a lot tougher than the calendar should suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Roster Squeeze If This Big Man Hits The Market
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For Philadelphia, it would be another reminder that the front office still has to keep one eye on the waiver wire even as the roster picture settles in. The 76ers have been tied to Cisse as a possible fit if he becomes available, but nothing is official yet, and the situation remains contingent on what Dallas decides. If he does hit the market, the competition for a look could be immediate. [Read more 🡒]