Orlando Magic Forward Tobias Harris will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and is expected to draw interest from numerous teams. One of those teams will most likely be the New York Knicks.
The Knicks have been clearing cap space, with already trading Iman Shumpert and JR Smith, and Amare Stoudimre and Andrea Bargnani in the final year of their deals, New York will have flexibility spending this offseason.
The Knicks are expected to focus on the Magic forward, and Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that a friend of Harris has said that the 22 year-old from Long Island wants to win a title with the Knicks.
Harris has been careful when discussing this topic however.
“I don’t think about it too much,” Harris said. “I’m trying to play basketball, worry about the present with Orlando. That’s my mind-set. After the season, when that time comes, we’ll be able to discuss that and go from there.”
Harris is averaging 18 points and 6.9 rebounds in 35.1 minutes this season. His 47.1 field goal percentage and 40.1 three-point percentage are career highs for him.
The magic offered the five-year pro out of Tennessee a 4 year/$36 million extension which he turned down. Being a restricted free agent, Orlando can match any offer sheet that Harris accepts should they choose to. Last summer the Houston Rockets decided to let restricted free agent Chandler Parsons sign with the Mavericks for roughly $15 million per season, while the Utah Jazz matched the Hornets offer for Gordon Hayward at the last-minute.
Highlighting this summers free agent class are Blazers’ forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Grizzlies’ center Marc Gasol, and Cavaliers’ big man Kevin Love. Those three are expected to resign with their respective teams but crazy things have happened before, like Lebron going back to Cleveland.
