Celtics, Pistons "favorites" to land Tobias Harris (merged)

[Snakehead]

A.Gordon has great potential as an undersized quick PF glue guy.

Yeah, which is why the Celts were so high on him last year around draft time.  Still, he's got to show that he can shoot.


I agree that going after a guy like Harris, who excels offensively but struggles to defend the 3 position, is risky.  But as Ainge and Brad have noted, the Celts need dynamic scorers.  The scorers who will be available to the Celts will not be perfect.  They'll have to acquire them and figure out a way to make it work.

The reality is there are few legit two way players in the league.  A lot of offensive players don't defend (think a guy like Lillard).

Right now we could use some offense and even yes at the expense of our defense.  I would much rather have Harris doing a lot of what Crowder was doing last year.  Crowder was a defender being asked to do a little too much.  Harris would be great at those types of things.  If he has a bit of an issue passing that would probably be good for this team.  We need guys willing to get shots and he is showing he is suited to taking the type of shots we need.  He is getting better every year and still very young.  They are drafting players older than he is.

We had Crowder for example shooting a lot of threes at around 30% (or below? I can't recall).  Harris isn't a sniper but he's at 36% so that's obviously more a guy suited to be doing that.  He would be great for Stevens system as a guy who can play the 3 or 4.

Also, people shouldn't underrate that Harris can rebound better than a guy like Jeff Green.

[P stoff]

Literally cracks me up....

Some dont want Harris at 22, yet willing to trade players and picks for 19 year olds who have similar issues to work on, and no NBA track record. Ah...potential.

 Live with problems from a 20 year old sophomore, but hesitate to sign a 17 ppg scorer because he has some correctable flaws.

A bird in the hand folks. Sometimes you gotta pay that bird.

[BudweiserCeltic]

After drafting a SF in this draft and with Aaron Gordon still developing as a 3/4, you have to wonder if Orlando will look to keep Harris. 

Doesn't make sense for them to just let him walk, though.  Perhaps the Celts can try and negotiate a sign-and-trade.

Celts wont do that.  Make an offer and if they match, then so be it

Harris is ok but has mediocre work ethic from what i read

I read that Harris had a strong work ethic. Something that he is praised for.

I have seen him play enough times. He pulls Jeff Green ghost act frequently. Not a strong defender

And that has to do with the work ethic being alluded to how?

[Evantime34]

I'd be fine with Tobias Harris at a max offer sheet. He's young, can shoot, and is athletic. Not a great defender but that can be improved. Young free agents with high upside are exactly the type we should be going for.

[JHTruth]

Harris is about the best we could hope for in FA in my opinion. If he'll sign here, do it..

[wiley]

After drafting a SF in this draft and with Aaron Gordon still developing as a 3/4, you have to wonder if Orlando will look to keep Harris. 

Doesn't make sense for them to just let him walk, though.  Perhaps the Celts can try and negotiate a sign-and-trade.

Celts wont do that.  Make an offer and if they match, then so be it

Harris is ok but has mediocre work ethic from what i read

I think you're thinking of Harkless...there was a story about him being an extremely popular person but low motor...

[max215]

I would love to have Harris, he's criminally underrated.

[JumpingJudkins]

If we could get Harris for the max and Robin Lopez with the rest of our cap space, I'd be surprisingly content. Fills the two holes we did nothing about in the draft.

[Eddie20]

As Orlando restricted free agent Tobias Harris will pursue a maximum-level offer sheet on July 1 that the Magic possibly won’t match, the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics have emerged as leading candidates for the talented forward, league sources told RealGM.

[Rondo9]

So can the Celtics negotiate a sign and trade with the Magic?

[NYDan]

I've been pretty vocal about my reservations around Harris, his ability to be an impact player, his tendency to disappear, his deficiencies on defense. If the majority of our free agent money goes to giving him a fat contract, plus the draft that made the guard rotation even murkier.. let's just say it won't be my favorite offseason by Ainge and company.

[Eddie20]

So can the Celtics negotiate a sign and trade with the Magic?

Why though? We have the cap space to sign him outright.

[JBcat]

So can the Celtics negotiate a sign and trade with the Magic?

Yup, and it might be beneficial for us to do so as long as the costs are minimal so that we retain our trade exemptions, and we don't have to renounce our free agents.

[Birdman]

If we could get Harris for the max and Robin Lopez with the rest of our cap space, I'd be surprisingly content. Fills the two holes we did nothing about in the draft.

I agree

[fairweatherfan]

So can the Celtics negotiate a sign and trade with the Magic?

Why though? We have the cap space to sign him outright.

To get another FA with the cap space.