Report: Tobias Harris could be included in potential Ben Simmons trade with the Hawks

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, rumors are circulating. The Hawks have struggled to begin the season and could be particularly active at the deadline. Travis Schlenk has mentioned multiple times that he would absolutely be willing to shake things up if the opportunity presented itself.

First, it was reported last week by Marc Stein that Atlanta was a team to keep an eye out for in Ben Simmons trade talks. Then, Shams Charania reported that the Hawks are indeed involved in trade discussions regarding the former LSU star, with John Collins being a potential centerpiece in the deal. Charania also noted that Collins has become “increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta.”

Well, the rumor mill is still pumping out reports. On Tuesday, Brian Windhorst and Marcus Spears of ESPN added another layer of trade speculation. According to Windhorst and Spears, the 76ers have begun trying to include Tobias Harris in those trade discussions.

Included in the reports, Spears noted that the Hawks were interested in Simmons until Philadelphia brought up the possibility of including Harris, which makes sense. Schlenk would have to significantly reconfigure the roster to acquire both players. Absorbing Harris’s five-year, $180 million deal that he signed during the 2019 offseason would create a financial nightmare for the Hawks in the future. For all of those reasons, a trade involving Harris coming to Atlanta is highly unlikely, in my opinion.