In the last few years, it feels like the conversation about Tobias Harris’ net worth and contract situation has received way more attention than the forward’s production or fit on the Philadelphia 76ers. While there are a multitude of opinions surrounding Harris’ current compensation level, and whether it is justified, the fact of the matter is that he remains a very solid NBA player. He doesn’t quite have the same talent as a lot of All-Star players throughout the league, but he’s one of the better complimentary options out there. He does a lot of things well, and has adjusted to a variety of situations so far in his NBA career.
Tobias Harris – Childhood
Tobias John Harris was born in Islip, New York on July 15, 1992. His parents, Lisa and Torrel Harris, certainly had their hands full, as they had six children to raise. They would involve all of their kids in athletics, and the family would work together to help each other improve on Long Island and throughout New York City. It was a lesson that stuck with Tobias Harris. Even when he had established himself as an NBA veteran, he would continue to work out with his siblings and parents back home in New York.
With the help of his father, and his connection to legendary mentor George Gervin, Harris would find his way throughout the basketball landscape. Gervin would give Tobias tips when he was in middle school, while his dad would find opportunities for him to play. The future NBA player was not the physical pillar of conditioning as a young child, but would get himself in shape so he could earn playing time on an AAU team created by Torrel Harris. The elder Harris would take that team and its best players to different areas of New York to play against other local future professionals like Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker.
Tobias Harris – High School
At a young age, Tobias Harris was predisposed to putting in hard work to improve his game, and that supreme level of effort certainly paid off by the time he got to high school. Harris would play his high school basketball at Half Hollow Hills West in nearby Long Island, and he would make his presence felt from the opening tip.
Harris was a big part of the varsity basketball team as a freshman, averaging nearly 20 points and over six rebounds per game. He would follow that up with a remarkable sophomore season, where he put up 29 points per game, nearly nine rebounds per contest, and over an assist, steal and block. The Islip native completely rewrote the schools record book in two years, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer as a sophomore.
In a somewhat unusual move, Tobias Harris would leave Half Hollow Hills West, but for just one season. He would play at Long Island Lutheran High School as a junior, and continue his brilliance there by averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds per game. Harris led the team to a New York state Class A title.
To finish what he had started, the 6’8” forward returned to Half Hollow Hills West for his final year of high school, and wrapped up one of the best careers in New York basketball history. The Colts were 24-2 in 2010, and the team made it to the Class AA championship game. The individual accolades rolled in for Harris, who was named Mr. Basketball for the state of New York, and was a McDonalds All-American.
There was some concern about how Harris would hold up at the next level, because he was nursing a foot injury through the second half of his high school season. He would re-aggravate the ailment in the McDonald’s All-Star game, which temporarily put his future on hold.
Tobias Harris – College
Fortunately for the young man, the setback did not prove to be serious. As the sixth ranked player in the 2010 incoming college class according to ESPN, Harris would be able to steer the recruiting process in whichever direction he wanted. He said he felt most comfortable during his recruiting visit to the University of Tennessee, and believed that there was a great line of communication between him and head coach Bruce Pearl.
Harris came in and was solid across the board in his first season as a Volunteer. He posted averages of 15 points and seven rebounds, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line. Along with junior Scotty Hopson, Harris provided the scoring punch for Tennessee. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team as well.
The team had a decent amount of experience and upperclassmen in their rotation, but this did not help them during their NCAA Tournament game against the University of Michigan. Hopson had a bad game, and Harris led the team in scoring by a mile with 19 points. Tennessee did not have enough firepower to stay in the game with the Wolverines, and they fell in a surprise blowout defeat in the college basketball game.
Tobias Harris – Milwaukee Bucks
Tobias Harris had a pretty good, but potentially not great season in Tennessee, which may have hurt his draft stock a little bit. He was a fringe lottery prospect, but ended up sliding down to the 19th overall pick, where he was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011. A draft night trade would send him to the Milwaukee Bucks, which is where he would start his career.
It was a difficult time to enter the NBA, due to circumstances completely out of the rookie’s control. The league was in a lockout, and without labor peace, teams were not allowed to formally get together and practice. This affected Harris’ ability to work with the Bucks’ coaching staff ahead of his first year as a professional.
The former Tennessee star would have a difficult time getting off the bench in Milwaukee as a rookie, only playing in 42 of a possible 66 games. When he did see action, it was usually when the game was well in hand, as he averaged just 11 minutes per game.
The start of the following season did not go too much better for Harris, as he was still not a fixture in Scott Skiles’ rotation. The front office ended up firing Skiles midway through the season, and was determined to make a push to the playoffs. They decided to part ways with young talent such as Harris, and traded for the more established J.J. Redick from the Orlando Magic in February 2013.
Tobias Harris – Orlando Magic
Even though the Magic struggled mightily as a team during Tobias Harris’ stint with the franchise, the trade out of Milwaukee did wonders for his career. Head coach Jacque Vaughn prioritized player development in a rebuilding situation, and the second-year player averaged more than triple the playing time he did with Milwaukee.
The Magic decided to keep Harris around, when they signed him to a four-year deal worth $64 million in the summer of 2015. Even though the team had not been winning, the forward had developed into a solid NBA player, and Orlando couldn’t afford to lose talent.
However, things would take an interesting turn. Vaughn was let go midway through the 2014-2015 campaign, and Orlando elected not to give the fulltime job to interim coach James Borrego. Instead, the Magic brought in Scott Skiles, who had not given Harris much playing time back in their Milwaukee days.
During their time together in Orlando, Harris did start every game under Skiles, but the team was not markedly improved year over year.
Tobias Harris – Detroit Pistons
In a transaction that surprised many around the league, the Orlando Magic traded Tobias Harris before the deadline to the Detroit Pistons, in exchange for Skiles’ old favorites Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings.
On his third team, but still just 23 years old, Harris was still looking to take another step over and above the one he took in Orlando. He finished the 2015-2016 season in Detroit with an opportunity to play in the postseason for the first time. Head coach Stan Van Gundy started in each of the Pistons’ playoff games, but the team was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Two notable things would happen to Harris during his time in Detroit. He would improve notably as a three point shooter, and he would meet one of his best friends, Boban Marjanovic.
Tobias Harris – Los Angeles Clippers
During the 2017-2018 campaign, the Pistons wanted to swing for the fences and acquire a proven star. Even though he had battled injuries in recent years, Detroit completed a blockbuster deal for Blake Griffin, which sent Harris and Marjanovic to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Having pivoted from the Chris Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan era, Los Angeles put together a fun roster, which Harris was arguably the center of. In his lone full season with Los Angeles in 2018-2019, he set career highs in scoring and three point shooting percentage. It was clear that he had evolved into the type of scorer and stretch player that so many teams around the NBA were looking for.
Tobias Harris – Philadelphia 76ers
After spreading his wings with the Los Angeles Clippers, Tobias Harris was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2019 NBA Trade deadline. He was joining a team that had big postseason dreams, featuring All-Star Joel Embiid, veteran tough-minded Jimmy Butler, sharpshooter J.J. Redick, and the talented Ben Simmons.
They had an impressive run down the stretch as head coach Brett Brown worked to get everyone on the same page. They advanced as far as the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but lost in seven games to the Toronto Raptors. In the waning moments, Kawhi Leonard made a buzzer beating shot that sent Philadelphia home, and perhaps changed the direction of their franchise.
After that postseason run, the 76ers had some big decisions to make regarding their roster. They decided Harris would be a cornerstone player for them, and signed him to a five year contract worth $180 million.
In the seasons that ensued, Harris has been a malleable, but valuable piece of the team. He has not quite had the same level of opportunity he had in years past, but is a respected floor spacer and mid range offensive player.
Tobias Harris – NBA Future
Harris has two more years on his contract, which is talked about quite often in NBA circles. It seems very likely that he will be with the team for another postseason run in 2022-2023, but it will be interesting to see what happens after that. If Philadelphia falls short again this year, they might decide to move Tobias Harris to shake up the team.
Who are Tobias Harris parents?
Tobias Harris was raised in Long Island, New York by Torrel and Lisa Harris. To this day, when the NBA player goes home for the offseason, his mother, father, and many siblings are all involved in his workouts so he can stay in shape for the rigors of the season. Torrel Harris was a basketball player as well, suiting up in college for Duquesne for two seasons. He also played another season in college basketball for Murray State. Torrel Harris founded his own company called Unique Sports Management, has has been an agent for many NBA players, including his son.
What is Tobias Harris contract?
It seems like NBA fans are sometimes more interested in talking about Tobias Harris’ contract than his contributions on the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers. After their 2019 NBA playoff run came to a heartbreaking end, Philadelphia decided to keep Harris around long term. He was signed to a five year deal worth $180 million. Many people were critical of this deal, believing that Harris was not worth a maximum salary. Although his compensation has been much discussed, his production for Philadelphia has been solid, as he has averaged nearly 19 points per game while shooting close to 37 percent for three point distance.
Who is Tobias best friend?
Throughout the course of his NBA career, an unlikely friendship has evolved and become one of the closest relationships in the league. Tobias Harris met Boban Marjanovic when they were first teammates with the Detroit Pistons.
They’ve been best friends ever since, sharing many laughs and hilarious moments both on and off the court. They have also decided to share their bond with the fans, as they would release episodes of the “Tobi and Bobi” show, where they would do comedic things. The two remained teammates while with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Marjanovic currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
