After adding Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, all while retaining Deandre Ayton in the past year, you would think the Phoenix Suns are all done looking into big acquisitions. But that may not be the case.
Despite having just eight players under contract, yet already having a payroll of $175 million spent, the Suns may not be done bringing in star talent. Or at least trying to.
According to Keith Pompey of the Inquirer, the Suns have made inquiries to the Philadelphia 76ers about trading for Tobias Harris. If the rumors are true, it links the Suns to yet another skilled scorer in addition to their All-Star trio.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old is coming off a season where he averaged 14.7 points per game, a dropoff from when he reached 20.9 PPG with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. Yet, Harris still sank threes at a 38% clip with the 76ers last season.
Even if they may not need it, Harris can certainly provide another scoring threat. Yet with a $39.2 million salary for the 2023-24 season, the final year of his contract, it’s hard to imagine the Suns having the cap space or the assets to pull off another big trade this summer.
However, the report goes on to add that the Suns would like to pair Harris with their Big 3. Still, the biggest trade chip Phoenix has is Ayton, and he’s not someone the 76ers would want to pair with Joel Embiid since they would be a terrible fit next to one another.
Even if Ayton is on the trade block, the 76ers would be better off finding a different trade partner. According to Pompey, teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Utah Jazz have also looked into a trade for Harris this offseason.
While the Sixers did hold trade discussions about Harris leading up to draft day, they’re also not actively looking to trade the former first-round pick. Yet, that doesn’t mean Philadelphia isn’t listening to fair offers.
Related: Detroit Pistons register interest in trading for Philadelphia 76ers star