Report: Magic's Tobias Harris looking for max offer; Celtics and Pistons interested
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Push Tobias Harris' name to the top of the list of restricted free agents most likely to change teams.
With most of the notable RFAs - Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, and Khris Middleton, primarily - believed to be staying put, teams may balk at even making an offer, as it risks tying up their cap space for three crucial days of free agency. Harris, meanwhile, could become the most intriguing option for teams looking to land an RFA, as they may be able to overpay him out of the Orlando Magic's comfort zone.
Harris' team is seeking a maximum offer sheet or something close to it, according to a report from Shams Charania of RealGM. A max deal for Harris would start at roughly $15.8 million for 2015-16.
While Harris is amenable to staying in Orlando and has reportedly exchanged "encouraging messages" with former and new head coach Scott Skiles, if Harris can land a deal close to the max, the Magic may balk at matching it. Orlando is said to have offered $10 million to $11 million annually on an extension before the season and just drafted Mario Hezonja, a small forward, with the No. 5 pick.
If Harris explores his options on the market, the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics are believed to be interested, and the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have been linked to him in the past. Those teams make varying degrees of sense, but the Lakers and Knicks may not be open to tying up cap space while they wait on the Magic to make a decision.
Capable of playing either forward position, the 22-year-old Harris averaged 17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last season, shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from long range. He could work as a team's No. 2 option on offense, but he's only an adequate defender. That makes a max offer a somewhat tenuous proposition, though the rising salary cap mitigates the impact of his salary.