And a new transfer rumor, one! Ian Begley of SportsNet New York tells us at the start of the week that before the series of eight wins in a row that lit up their month of December, the New York Knicks looked into the case of Sixers forward Tobias Harris, to bolster their squad. A file to keep out of the corner of your eye?
On paper, when you think of the teams likely to strengthen by a transfer by the deadline, the Knicks have reason to come to mind. Indeed, thanks to their eight victories in a row since the beginning of December, Tom Thibodeau’s players are now sixth in the East, even if they have lost three times since the end of this series (d elsewhere have you seen? No aperitif, they TrashTalk-cursed themselves like grown-ups). In favorable waivers in the race for the Playoffs, the Knickerbockers could seek to strengthen themselves on positions 2 or 3 to accompany (or be accompanied by) RJ Barrett, who must feel a little alone between Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
So here comes the Tobias Harris rumor. Although almost All-Star and moreover author of a solid season in Philly (16.7 points at 49% address, 6 rebounds)the winger was not necessarily the most anticipated side of the Big Apple, where we seemed to hope more for a player capable of being a first offensive option in an ambitious team, such as Zach LaVine or Donovan Mitchell (good that for once is dead).
The contractual situation of the J. Cole lookalike, under guaranteed contract until June 2024can obviously make it an interesting element in the context of a trade because even if it is very expensive (37.6 million this season, 39 million next year), it presents both the assurance of not fight back against peanuts in six months while ensuring not-too-long-term flexibility if ever the situation were to get bogged down. In view of the recent news around the Sixers, could we not also see in this news corridor noises seeking to destabilize the Pennsylvania franchise a little? Hard indeed to imagine Daryl Morey sending his player away when everything is going well at the Wells Fargo Center at the moment and Harris has played the role of the third man perfectly in recent weeks, even more so with Tyrese Maxey still on the sidelines.
As you will have understood, it would have been about Tobias Harris on the Gotham side a few weeks ago. Indeed, this may not be the most obvious track to associate with the franchise managed by Scott Perry, and it is hard to imagine Philly letting go of him at the moment, but we will still keep an eye on this file. Do we ever know…
Source texte : Ian Begley, SportsNet New York