The Philadelphia 76ers find themselves firmly in the top tier after trading for Tobias Harris.
After a solid first half to the season, Elton Brand facilitated yet another leap for the Philadelphia 76ers. He traded for Tobias Harris, adding a fourth star to the Sixers’ talented starting five. Brett Brown’s squad now has a legitimate path to the NBA Finals.
While it hasn’t all been positive, the Sixers are a convincing 3-1 in four games with Harris. He’s improving the offense and not harming the defense, providing more spacing at the four spot and another go-to option late in games.
Here’s where they stand among all 30 NBA teams after the All-Star break.
The Knicks tryin’ for Zion. DeAndre Jordan gives a slight boost at center, but even his arrival and promising signs from Dennis Smith Jr. aren’t enough to propel New York to success.
The Cavs are also tryin’ for Zion. Kevin Love‘s return will add some firepower to an offensively-challenged rotation, but defensive woes alone will keep Cleveland at the bottom.
The Suns have lost eight straight, struggling to establish an identity despite star power in Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Phoenix will need to start showing tangible signs of growth soon, or the rebuild enters a serious danger zone.
The Bulls improved with the addition of Otto Porter Jr., who output will improve in a bigger role. He’s a long, versatile two-way forward who scores efficiently at all three levels, complementing Chicago’s young core quite nicely. They’re still really bad, though.
The Grizzlies officially ended the Grit n’ Grind era at the trade deadline, shipping Marc Gasol to Toronto. Mike Conley is still on the roster, but the Grizzlies are clearly transitioning into a rebuild, with Jaren Jackson Jr. as the focal point.