When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired him before the trade deadline, Tobias Harris understood the challenge. The 76ers were pairing an All-Star-caliber player with three other All-Stars in Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler during a point where the team was still working to gel.



One month into his transition to Philadelphia, Harris has emerged as ‘The Connector’ for this roster. Team staffers say he’s the glue between its top four players at times. Sometimes, Harris joins discussions between Simmons and Embiid. Other times, it’s stepping into conversations with Butler and Simmons. On and on the combinations of players go, and Harris has embraced this role of being one of the leaders to bring together the team’s stars and supporting cast.



“100 percent, I see myself as the connector here,” Harris told The Athletic. “Just having these games so far, and the way I’m playing, I think guys are realizing that...