Tobias Harris redeems reputation without being seen through a 76ers lens

Imagine telling Philadelphia 76ers fans a few seasons ago that Tobias Harris would be viewed as the league’s most underrated player acquisition in the eyes of front office executives in 2026?

You would get laughed out of the city. Yet, here we are, staring at a survey where a league-high 20% of the votes for the category belong to the San Antonio Spurs, thanks to the Sixers’ old friend.

Another team gets to witness Tobias Harris at a better value

You would have a hard time finding somebody to debate the idea that Harris was overpaid in Philadelphia. The Sixers gambled on his future by offering a five-year, $180 million deal after seeing him in action with their team for 27 games.

Harris would play out the entire five-year deal with the 76ers, and by the end of it, the franchise, fan base, and Harris were all more than ready to move on. Harris hit the free agency market, and signed a wealthy, but short-term $52.0 million deal with the Detroit Pistons. It was a two-season run of redemption for the forward. A chance for him to reset the way he’s seen around the league after years of being labeled as overrated.

Again, the numbers didn’t jump off the page for Harris. After he averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 36.9% from three in Philly, Harris wrapped up with averages of 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 35.5% from three in Detroit. Similar production at a much more desirable price. In Philly, they couldn’t wait to see him leave. In Detroit, they hated to see him go.

It was easy for the Spurs to pursue Harris. In a 14-game playoff run with the top-seeded Pistons, Harris was arguably the second-best player on his team, next to the All-Star, Cade Cunningham. He averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds throughout the playoffs. His experience helped the Pistons win their first series since 2008.

Now, San Antonio is banking on Harris coming and helping the Western Conference Champions level up in 2026-2027. Quite the turn of events.

Meanwhile, the Sixers won’t have any hard feelings over here. Not only did their offseason acquisition Dean Wade get some votes in the underrated category, but the Sixers picked up two players (LeBron James and Jaylen Brown) who landed in the most impactful category. It’s hard for anybody to consider Brown and LeBron underrated when they helped the Sixers earn perhaps the most fanfare after their blockbuster offseason.