A potential Jimmy Butler Max might make Tobias Harris a Phoenix Suns target
By Adam Maynes
The Phoenix Suns are surely going to look into a power forward this offseason and one name that has appeared on their radar is Tobias Harris. Recent news of Jimmy Butler being offered a max contract extension might give the Suns an in to snag the soon-to-be-27-year-old power forward.
Of the two holes that the Phoenix Suns have on their roster, the importance of the resolution at power forward pales in comparison to point guard.
However, both do need an upgrade in a major way if the Suns are ultimately going to be competitive this coming season.
The biggest fish in the second-tier of potential free agents at any position this offseason is Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris‘ current teammate, with reports now circulating that the Philadelphia 76ers are prepared to offer the 29-year-old a max contract extension (although apparently there is still currently doubt over whether or not they will go as far as the full five years, or stop at four).
Butler can officially begin negotiations on that max contract beginning July 1, when unrestricted free agency kick in. Such a contract offer will pay him an average of $38 million a year (although obviously tiered up each season of the deal).
While Tobias Harris does not figure to receive a max contract offer from anywhere, he is all but certain to earn a deal that will pay him somewhere along the lines of $20 million a season on average, meaning that between those two players alone, Philadelphia will owe approx. $60 million a year beginning in 2019-20.
Further complicating the 76ers’ salary cap future is Joel Embiid‘s own max extension kicking in this season and Ben Simmons‘ max (presumably) beginning the following year.
That is a whoooooole lot of money beginning in 2020-21 for only four players, and for a core roster who has yet to make it beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals as of yet.
A lot has been made recently about Julius Randle being potentially interested in the Phoenix Suns and they in him. I have written about how he would definitely be an excellent grab if he could be had as he too is on the free agent market.