DAL OFFSEASON: Trade & FA | Mavs "mostly done...but you never know."

[omahen]

I would rather have OPJ than Harris who is sort of an empty stats player but clearly Harris has had a bigger market value than OPJ in recent years. The Bulls got OPJ from the Wiz for basically nothing but trash. In 2019 Harris was traded for a much better package and subsequently got a max contract. So it's not even really debatable unless you want to just ignore what transpired in 2019.

Go figure why, that is really a mistery Harris contract in the trade from Clippers was ok. OPJ contract from Washington was way too high. Consequently, Philly paid big price and Chicago gave a bunch of trash to Washington to get rid of that albatross contract. Today OPJ contract is not that horrible anymore, as he has just one year left. Harris on the other hand received a hugely overpaid max contract, which will be horrible for the next three seasons. At least. 

Harris might be a good third guy, but he is paid as a star. That's why it makes no sense for a rebuilding team to build around him, because it will kill their flexibility. They will be too good to get really good picks and not nearly good enough to compete. Very limited possibility for them to get that number one or two guy. Rebuilding team will not pay assets for that contract. They expect assets for him.

Dallas, on the other hand, already has a number 1 and 2 guy and is looking for number 3. Still, Harris would kill all our flexibility and bring us many risks, that's why we are also not really prepared to pay assets for him. 

Philly has two options:
1. They can keep Harris. He is decent player, just way overpaid. I would do that if I was them.
2. Find a rebuilding team with a better fitting player on similar horrible contract (like CP3 for example) and pay them an asset or two for the trade. That team might appreciate a bit less horrible contracts from a team LIKE Dallas, because they don't need Harris anyway.