Source: Phoenix Suns end Tobias Harris pursuit as Sixers plan to keep veteran forward for now

The Sixers also had no interest in Deandre Ayton and refused to find a third team to facilitate the trade that would've landed Harris in Phoenix.

Sixers forward Tobias Harris against the Boston Celtics during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday, May 14, 2023.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published Jun. 25, 2023, 1:24 p.m. ET

The 76ers have received inquiries from the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz about Tobias Harris’ availability in recent weeks.

And while the Suns expressed serious interest, a source said Sunday that they have paused their pursuit of Harris. The team now intends to move forward with Deandre Ayton.

The Suns envisioned Harris playing alongside Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. And they wanted to acquire him before the start of free agency on June 30 because of the new collective bargaining agreement and possible second-apron ramifications.

Phoenix would have had to move Ayton as part of the Harris deal. But the Sixers have no interest in the 7-foot, 250-pounder or any players the Suns would make available.

The Sixers were also unwilling to get a third team involved to facilitate the deal. The team has been adamant that it doesn’t intend to trade Harris at this time.

And while trade rumors continue to surround Harris, there’s also been an ongoing debate about his lack of production as a member of the Sixers.

Harris has been criticized by those who believe he failed to live up to the five-year, $180 million contract he signed in July 2019. Others believe the power forward never had extended opportunities to show why he received the money.

Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris’ father and agent, agreed with the latter during a recent appearance on the “Business of Sports” podcast.

“The reason I say that, well Tobias is an assassin scorer,” said Torrel Harris, who’s also CEO of Unique Sports Management International. “I mean, they can’t stop him. Nobody in the league can stop him. So he’s proven that over his career even when he was with the [Los Angeles] Clippers he was an assassin scorer …”

The Clippers traded Harris to the Sixers on Feb. 6, 2019, as the headliner of a blockbuster trade. At the time, he was averaging a career-best 20.9 points.

“Ever since they traded him to the Sixers, they put him in the corner,” Torrel Harris said.

Tobias Harris averaged 14.7 points this past season as the fourth option behind Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. It was his lowest scoring output since averaging 14.6 with the Orlando Magic during the 2013-14 season.