Where Tobias Harris ranks among the biggest Sixers mistakes since the start of the Process, the worst mistake the Sixers have made…..

Somehow, trading for and re-signing Tobias Harris isn’t even the worst mistake the Sixers have made over the past 10 years.

Tobias Harris hit the nadir of his 2023-24 season on Tuesday against the New York Knicks. He scored a season-low two points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with three rebounds, one assist and two steals in 26 minutes in the Sixers’ 106-79 loss.

The Sixers were starting a third-string center (Mo Bamba), a buyout pickup (Kyle Lowry) and a guy who they signed to a one-year, minimum-salary deal in mid-September (Kelly Oubre Jr.) along with All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey, who made his return after missing the previous four games because of a concussion. If ever there was a time for the Sixers’ nearly $40 million man to make an impact on a game sans reigning MVP Joel Embiid, it was this type of game, but alas.

That inconsistency has been the theme of Harris’ play as of late. He played key roles in recent wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks, but he’s otherwise vacillated between mediocre and downright awful over the last month. If he keeps failing to provide positive value on either end of the floor, head coach Nick Nurse should strongly consider giving Harris a quicker hook once the Sixers get back closer to full strength (although he isn’t yet).

The good news is that Harris’ five-year, $180 million contract finally expires this offseason. The bad news is that he somehow wound up spending the entire thing with the Sixers.

In fairness, Harris isn’t a bad player, this recent stretch notwithstanding. Had the Sixers paid him half as much on his current deal, he’d be considered one of the better-value contracts in the league. But they didn’t, and with giant contractual figures come equally supersized expectations that Harris never came close to reaching.

Amazingly, the trade for him and subsequent decision to re-sign him to a five-year, $180 million near-max contract wasn’t even the worst move the Sixers have made since former general manager Sam Hinkie officially began the Process in 2013. As of now, current team president Daryl Morey was responsible for exactly zero of the top five, although the jury remains out on the long-term outcome of the James Harden trade.