After six long seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tobias Harris decided to return to his former employers, the Detroit Pistons, when his contract with the franchise expired. To say Harris had a rollercoaster relationship with the Sixers fan base would be an understatement. The versatile forward played many explosive games in which he posted impressive numbers; But when the procedure didn’t go his way, he disappeared from the games – something the Pistons are starting to realize.
Harris arrived in Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2018-2019 season and demonstrated his ability to contribute to various aspects of the game. The 76ers front office made the questionable decision to hand Harris a five-year contract worth $180 million, which skyrocketed the expectations fans had for this player, and rightly so, considering the compensation he received.
The 33-year-old averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists over 378 games with the 76ers. At first glance, this seems like a successful period in the City of Brotherly Love. Nevertheless, animosity grew, due to his inability to impact games in big moments, leading Harris to opt not to sign a new contract with the franchise and move on to pastures new.
Harris’ inconsistencies are creeping in on the Pistons
Detroit has entered an exciting new era of basketball, with superstar Cade Cunningham leading the team’s charge to the NBA championship. Complemented by talented, youthful options like Jalen Duran and Ausar Thompson, the sky is now the limit for the Pistons.
Once again, Tobias Harris has proven that he has all the attributes to rack up numbers in any of the stat columns during a matchup. The former 76ers forward averaged 13.6 points, five rebounds and 2.4 assists in the 18 games in which he was available for selection.
As a third scoring option on a roster, this point total could indicate Harris is playing exactly the role expected of him, which is why his employers currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. Although a deeper dive into his season highlights a trend the Sixers fanbase knows all too well.
During the 2025-2026 season, Harris has recorded fewer than 10 points five times, with one of those performances ending with a total of zero points for the Pistons wing, missing all five of his field goal attempts.
During the regular season, Harris can afford to be offensive and have occasional dips in form; these athletes are only human. This will become a more pressing issue as the postseason arrives. Harris averaged just nine points per game while hitting about 43% of his field goal attempts during the 76ers’ 2023 playoffs.
Tobias Harris is a player who can undoubtedly make a positive contribution to the franchise jersey he wears, thanks to his versatile attacking skills. Nevertheless, a team with ambitions to secure a place in the NBA Finals at the end of the regular season cannot carry passengers – something that Philadelphia 76ers fans will accuse their former player of during crucial moments.
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