Tobias Harris is coming off arguably the best season of his career. Even though he was traded from the Pistons to the Clippers in the middle of the year, Harris was a consistent scorer who shot 41 percent from 3-point range. The Clippers, seeing the potential in Harris' production, reportedly tried to lock him down for a contract extension worth $80 million.
According to David Aldridge of Turner Sports, Harris has rejected the Clippers offer with plans of becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Harris could make as much as $188 million if he signs a max contract with Los Angeles next offseason, or $145.5 million if he signed a max deal elsewhere.
This is a risky gamble by Harris. He has developed into a solid stretch forward, but he would need to have an explosion next season to make himself worth anywhere close to a max contract. He's a solid starter right now, which is good, but most solid starters don't make max contract money.
Of course, that doesn't mean Harris is making the wrong decision by passing on an extension. If this bet on himself works, and he has a great season, then he could still push the salary of his next contract into the $100 million range. That would still be a massive success for him.
