Tobias Harris, Mike Scott Ready to Run It Back With Sixers

The start to the NBA Free Agency period was an interesting one for the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite all of the rumors going around regarding two of their biggest impending free agents, Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris going elsewhere, the Sixers were fortunate enough to get at least one back for now.

Right at the start of the free agency period on Sunday at 6 PM EST. it was announced that the Sixers had inked Tobias Harris to a five-year deal, worth $180 million. Quite the turnaround for Harris and the Sixers as rumors were flying around for the last couple of weeks stating that Philly was going to offer less than what Harris was seeking.

For a while, it seemed realistic that Harris was going to land elsewhere. First, there were rumors that the Brooklyn Nets would be the most realistic landing spot for him. Then, the Nets ended up landing some of the other biggest names in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Dallas Mavericks were also a team that was expected to make a run for Harris, but they had little confidence in landing him since the ball was in Philly's court.

Now, it's a done deal. Harris made the announcement official as he wrote his own article on ESPN.com explaining his reasoning for returning to Philly. "I want to be somewhere that I can call home. Finally, I can do that now: I'm a Philadelphia 76er," Harris wrote in his official statement regarding his decision to re-sign.

Being that Harris has jumped around to four different teams before landing with the Sixers midway through the year last season, he's officially ready to settle down at the age of 26. Some could argue that Harris' deal seems a bit expensive for what he produced, but the Sixers recognize the upside. Harris is still quite young and hasn't hit his prime just yet.

And since the Sixers gave up some valuable assets to acquire him last season, it's only right they give him a full opportunity to work on a chemistry with the rest of the team and go for the Eastern Conference once again from start to finish.

Harris wasn't the only player to ink a deal with Philly on Sunday though. As expected, reserve forward Mike Scott will return to the Sixers on a two-year deal, which falls just under $10 million. Like Harris, Scott arrived in Philly via trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was just a small piece in the trade at the time, but Scott would turn out to be a reliable contributor for Philly off the bench, which is what they desperately needed.

So far, the Sixers fared well at the beginning of free agency. They might've lost a starter in JJ Redick, who signed with the New Orleans Pelicans -- but getting Harris back in the lineup, along with Scott off of the bench is a good start.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN. You can follow Justin on Twitter: @JGrasso_