Kevin O’Connor’s latest Tobias Harris critique is drawing the same kind of eye-roll that followed his Dylan Harper take, and the reason is simple: the Spurs did not sign Harris to be a headline-grabber.
O’Connor called out the deal on July 1, 2026, writing, “Tobias Harris adds nothing that the Spurs were missing. Harris is a low volume, middling efficiency shooter, and he’s a replacement level defender.
There were far better targets with the mid-level. San Antonio also could’ve cashed in picks with a trade instead.
Don’t love it!”
That view misses the point of what San Antonio is building.
Harris is not being asked to carry a franchise or play like the star he was paid to be in Philadelphia. That was never the assignment.
In San Antonio, he steps into a two-year, $31 million deal that lets him settle into a role that fits him far better than the pressure-packed situation he had with the 76ers. He’s a veteran with 15 years of experience, and the Spurs already have enough high-usage talent to handle the heavy lifting.
That’s why his lower shot volume isn’t a flaw here - it’s a feature.
The Spurs don’t need Tobias Harris to walk in and fire away 18 times a night. They need someone who can slot into the offense without demanding touches, and that’s been Harris’ calling card for most of his career. He has spent years adapting to what his team needs, and San Antonio looks like another clean fit.
The offensive value is pretty easy to see. Harris has shot over 50% from the field on two-pointers for his career, and while he isn’t a dominant interior scorer, he does bring a mid-range game that the Spurs can use. San Antonio leans on pressure in the lane to create three-point looks, and that works best when defenses have to worry about more than one type of scorer.
Devin Vassell was the only Spur with a reliable pull-up jumper who could really punish overhelping defenses. Harris gives them another layer.
With him on the floor, opponents can’t just sit on drives and threes. They have to account for a more varied scoring profile.
Victor Wembanyama already spends time in the middle of the floor, but often to create for others or get to the rim. Harris adds another option without forcing the offense to feed him just to keep him involved.
Even the defensive criticism feels overstated in this spot. O’Connor labeled him a “replacement level defender,” but Harris was just a starter on the second-best defensive team in the league.
He also didn’t have Stephon Castle beside him and Wembanyama behind him. In San Antonio, the expectation is much simpler: do the job in his role and hold up.
That’s been his specialty.
Lowe and Marks both agreed the Spurs made a good signing with Tobias, with Lowe saying, “I saw KOC, among others, rip that deal. Couldn't disagree more.
That's a really good deal for the Spurs. He's exactly the position they needed.”
That’s the crux of it. San Antonio didn’t bring Harris in to save the day.
They brought him in to fill a need and fit into a bigger plan. If he does that, he makes the whole operation smoother.
And if that helps push the Spurs toward another parade on the Riverwalk, O’Connor won’t be on the guest list.
In Other News...
Spurs Missed On A Dream Target For One Frustrating Reason
The Spurs spent part of the offseason chasing a forward they believed could have fit neatly into their frontcourt plans, with Rui Hachimura drawing interest from San Antonio and several other teams before the market settled. Golden State, Minnesota and Brooklyn were also in the mix, a reminder that Hachimura had plenty of options as he weighed his next move.
San Antonio ultimately had to pivot after missing out, and the answer came in the form of veteran forward Tobias Harris, a steadier addition who helps address the same area of need. The Spurs would have liked to land Hachimura and keep building around a younger, more versatile look, but the search for frontcourt help did not end with one swing. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Send Tarris Reed Jr. A Tough Message Right Away
Tarris Reed Jr. already has a clear early-career assignment in San Antonio, and it has little to do with putting up points. The Spurs took Reed alongside Jayden Quaintance in the 2026 NBA Draft, bringing in the former UConn and Michigan big man with the expectation that his value will come from defense, rebounding and a physical presence around the basket.
In Summer League, coach Corliss Williamson made the message plain: Reeds lane is the gritty stuff, not a featured offensive role. For a Spurs roster that already has plenty of scoring to go around, the rookie will need to earn his way by doing the dirty work and showing he can hold up in the details, with a chance to push into the regular rotation if those traits translate once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Face A Lineup Decision That Could Disrupt Their Chemistry
The Spurs are staring at one of those early offseason choices that can quietly shape everything else, and it centers on the starting power forward spot. Tobias Harris brings the kind of veteran rsum that usually makes a coach think twice, while Julian Champagnie has already shown he can fit cleanly alongside the rest of San Antonios core.
Champagnies case is rooted in how well the Spurs looked with him in the first unit, where the group around De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama clicked at a high level. Harris still has value, especially as a scorer who could change the tone of a second unit, but the bigger question for San Antonio is whether it keeps the chemistry it found or makes room for experience at the expense of continuity. [Read more 🡒]