NBA Rumors: Tobias Harris To Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in full-on rebuild mode, and they are not trying to hide it. The team has been developing their young core and collecting draft picks for acquiring veteran players with big contracts that teams are trying to get off their books, such as Kemba Walker last season. The Thunder figure to do more of the same ahead of next Thursday's NBA Trade Deadline as they currently have over $24 million in cap space, and they also own two significant trade exceptions, although one of those expires today.

The Thunder are poised to add to the pile of first-round draft picks they've acquired over the last few seasons if teams are trying to get a jump on next summer's top free agents, or if they're trying to avoid paying the luxury tax. One of those teams is the Philadelphia 76ers, who are said to have eyes for impending UFA James Harden.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes talks about what Philadelphia might be prepared to do to clear the books for Harden this offseason:

...the Thunder will be waiting, happy to take on a first-rounder or two as the fee for contract disposal. If the Sixers are serious about pursuing James Harden in free agency and need to wipe Tobias Harris from their books, well...Oklahoma City has taken on worse salaries in the past.

Tobias Harris is in the third year of a 5-year, $180 million contract, but he could be a useful player for the the Thunder. Harris is averaging 18.9 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, and he would immediately become the team's best option at power forward and their second most-talented offensive player behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The 76ers would then look to trade Ben Simmons, either at the deadline or this summer, to completely rebuild their core around Joel Embiid and James Harden - a scary proposition for fellow Eastern Conference teams.