The NBA trade deadline has been proven to be one of the most exciting times of the year for NBA fans, and this year was no exception. Just a couple of hours into Wednesday morning on February 6th, a major NBA move was conducted that would send forward Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The trade between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers, saw Tobias Harris, backup bigman Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott to become shipped to Philadelphia, in exchange for Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, Wilson Chandler, and a handful of first-round picks for the NBA draft.
These picks included a 76erʼs 2020 first round pick, as well as the Miami Heatʼs unprotected first-round pick. In addition to these highly projected picks, the Clippers will also obtain the Sixers’ 2021 and 2023 second-round picks.
This trade will give the 76erʼs another key high-level player to add to their roster. Tobias Harris is currently experiencing a career-high year, putting up 20.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while shooting over 42 percent from behind the three-point line. Harris is a perfect addition to the 76erʼs lineup, alongside Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and
Joel Embiid. The Sixers now arguable have the most talented group in the Eastern Conference. However, they will have to make big decisions in the summer, when Butler and Harris are both unrestricted free agents. For now though, they’re going to be really successful team.
As for the Clippers, this likely terminated any playoff hopes for the team. The Clippers were previously kept alive by Harris and guard Louis Williams, who carried the roster to a 30-25 season. The Clippers currently reside as the eight seed in the western conference, however they are bound to move down the standings due to the resent descent of Tobias Harris. This still may not be the worst move, as the Clippers were not anticipated to make a long run in the playoffs anyway, and the Harris trade will probably earn the Clippers another late lottery pick, not to mention the first-round picks that they had acquired in the Harris transaction.
Whether they retain the picks, or decide to package them into a blockbuster move of their own, the Clippers have gained a significant amount of assets for the future. During the offseason, the Clipperʼs will have approximately fifty million dollars in cap space at their disposal, in a free-agency class that includes many big-name free agents.
Overall, what do you think about this? Was this a great deal for both sides? Did one side win the trade? Was their a better trade that should have occurred? Thoughts?