Philadelphia 76ers GM Elton Brand surprised fans with a late-night trade for Tobias Harris from the LA Clippers. With the addition of a fourth star, how do the 76ers compare to the rest of the Eastern Conference Playoff field?
76ers fans woke up Wednesday morning to some very unexpected trade news. GM Elton Brand traded Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala and Wilson Chandler along with a handful of 1st and 2nd round picks to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return we received Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovoic and Mike Scott.
Harris is in the middle of a career best season and his addition to the lineup gives the 76ers one of, if not the best lineups in the East. Averaging 20.9 ppg while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc, Harris is the piece that the Sixers lineup desperately needed.
The 76ers starting 5 now has very few holes, if any, and there are now 5 threats to score 30 on a given night. This makes Philadelphia an absolute matchup nightmare for any team in the NBA.
Scott and Marjanovic should not be overlooked in this deal. Scott is also shooting a very efficient 39% from 3 and should be an impactful defender off the bench. Marjanovic, who is listed at 7-foot-3 is quite clearly a physical presence in the paint. He is a true backup center that can out-muscle almost every center in the league not named Joel Embiid.
Though it is believed that Brand is not done making moves prior to the trade deadline, here is how the current 76ers lineup stacks up against the Eastern Conference in a 7 game series.