The Orlando Magic and Tobias Harris have agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
The Orlando Magic and forward Tobias Harris have agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
Sources: Tobias Harris agrees to 4-year, $64 million deal to return to Orlando Magic
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 4, 2015
Tobias Harris confirmed, at least, a deal was reached on Twitter and Instagram:
Harris spoke to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity with the Magic to continue to grow:
"It’s still surreal for me. I just think back when I first came to the NBA, and I wanted to just really be here for more than four years. You know, that’s the average expectancy as an NBA player. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to be in Orlando, to get an opportunity where I can showcase my game and be on a great team with great teammates and a great organization. So it’s a true blessing. It really is."
This was one of the big things the Magic would wait through for the summer. And Harris’ free agency was something a big mystery as no one seemed to know exactly what his value was. There were rumors Harris would get a max offer sheet and it was uncertain exactly whether the Magic would match those offers when they came in.
It appears the Magic were indeed to make a big investment in this young power forward. Clearly they have agreed to do so.
Getting to this point did not seem to come with its contention.
There was certainly some frustration from Harris that the Magic opted to wait for restricted free agency to determine his value while moving forward with a lucrative long-term deal for Nikola Vucevic.
Harris did not ever find a clear role, and it was still unclear exactly what he would get as a free agent. The good money — and the statistics — was that he was worth at least $14 million per year.
He had a solid season for the Magic averaging 17.1 points per game. He was still a bit inefficient offensively and had struggles on the defensive end, but he grew a bit as a 3-point shooter. At just 22 years old, there is plenty of opportunity for Harris to grow and continue to improve. He is already a solid player with plenty of room to grow.
The Sixer Sense
Of course, there is still the matter of his ball-stopping ways and the problems on defense. He is not much of an impact player on defense and his shooting needs to continue to improve. And then there is the positional fit.
Despite all the potential in talent, it was unclear whether the Magic could or should bring Harris back.
Things got more unclear when the Magic hired Scott Skiles, Harris’ former coach. Harris struggled to get playing time with the Bucks his first two seasons because Skiles needed a player ready to contribute to a winning team, particularly on the defensive end. Harris was not that player at that point.
While both Skiles and Harris publicly stated they would be fine playing together, with Skiles even noting they continued to text and talk after his fire. Still, that did not stop rumors that there might be issues or Harris did not prefer to play for Skiles, even though he reportedly wanted to remain in Orlando.
In the end though, it was clear the Magic were willing to match offer sheets on Harris and he probably was getting offer sheets just south of the amount they ended up giving (about $16 million per year).
For all the positional questions and uncertainty about Harris, the Magic ultimately could not let a talent this young get away for nothing. His cap hit is not going to be worse as the contract evolves.
The Magic still have about $6-8 million in cap room left (assuming Harris’ contract is not a flat fee and has the maximum 7.5 percent raises), and then their exceptions should they go over that amount, after signing Harris. Of course, the Magic could make their signings first using the cap room and then sign Harris using Bird Rights as well. Orlando can still make moves in free agency to fill the rest of their needs.
This is a major financial commitment, but a necessary one to retain someone they might keep as a starting power forward and hope can grow into a better team player.
No matter what anyone thinks of Harris, the Magic clearly felt he was important enough to keep around even as just an asset. Undoubtedly though, he is a key asset for the team as it continues to grow together.