Clippers coach Doc Rivers on Tobias Harris: ‘He did great for us’

Tobias Harris won.

That’s what folks around the NBA will tell you.

The veteran forward bet on himself, and was rewarded in July with a five-year, $180 million deal to remain with the 76ers. That came one summer after the 27-year-old declined a five-year, $80 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers, knowing he wanted to get paid, traded the forward to the Sixers last February. Harris eventually got his money, and the Clippers went on to sign Kawhi Leonard in free agency and trade for Paul George.

Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, Harris will face his former team for the first time since being the headliner of last season’s blockbuster trade.

During that morning’s shootaround, Clippers coach Doc Rivers spoke of Harris’ versatility. He even joked that Los Angeles would “trap the hell out of him.”

Clearly, the Clippers considered him one of their best players. He was having a career-best season in Los Angeles, averaging 20.9 points and shooting 43.4% on three-pointers, before being traded to the Sixers.

“His ability to score, he was great for us,” Rivers said. "We got him rebounding, as well, a little bit more with us. We got him off the dribble, as well. But he just fits.

“He’s one of the guys that he can probably fit in anybody’s offense. He knows how to fit in. And he did great for us."

The Clippers ran a lot of their offense through the 6-foot-9, 235-pounder last season. Now, he’s the third option with the Sixers, one who usually spots up in the corner behind the three-point line. But he’s still managed to be the team’s second-leading scorer at 19.1 points.