Want to go to sleep as the NBA trade deadline approaches? Don't be silly.
A little after 2 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday morning, the 76ers and Clippers reportedly agreed to a stunning deal that sent Tobias Harris to Philadelphia. The trade came only hours after Harris had hit a game-winning jumper to lift the Clippers over the Hornets on Tuesday night. That's the NBA for you.
TRADE DEADLINE: Latest news, buzz, reported deals
While the move pushes Philadelphia and Los Angeles in different directions for now, it accomplishes the intended goals for both sides. It could be a rare win-win trade, but the final grades won't be known until months (and maybe years) down the road.
Let's break it all down and examine the short- and long-term ramifications.
Tobias Harris trade grades
76ers receive: Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott
Clippers receive: Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, Wilson Chandler, 2020 first-round pick, 2021 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, 2023 second-round pick
76ers: B+
Philadelphia is pushing all of its chips to the center of the table. This is a win-now move that tells the Eastern Conference's top teams the Sixers are trying to make the 2019 NBA Finals.
Tobias Harris is an All-Star caliber player — he didn't make the cut this year in the competitve West race — averaging 20.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 43.4 percent on 3-pointers. He provides scoring, spacing and a little bit of playmaking.
Harris could be the missing piece in the starting lineup with Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid. That unit could be the best starting five outside of the Warriors. It's huge and switchable defensively with enough shooting to punish teams for shading toward Simmons and Embiid.
Meet The Sixers pic.twitter.com/4BqTaS3gFG
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) February 6, 2019
Harris is fully capable of challenging weak defenders in playoff matchups, which wasn't the case with Robert Covington and Dario Saric. He can post up smaller guys and drag bigs out toward the 3-point line. That will be key for a Sixers team hoping to advance past the Bucks, Raptors and Celtics in the postseason.
Marjanovic and Scott aren't just throw-ins, either. Marjanovic should soak up center minutes when Embiid needs a break and provide the kind of inside muscle Muscala couldn't. Scott is a nice stretch-4 (39.1 percent on 3-pointers this season) head coach Brett Brown can slide into multiple lineups.
With all that said, it's possible this backfires on the 76ers. Philly just used up a ton of assets to acquire Harris, including the Heat's precious unprotected 2021 first-round pick. Maybe it's an overpay at the perfect time, but losing Harris in free agency this summer would make this trade a complete disaster. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Sixers have plans to keep their new "Big 4" together, so ownership must be willing to cut the checks. Still, there are less avenues now to upgrade a short bench.
The on-court chemistry could be problematic as well. Butler has already challenged Brown about his offensive role, and with Harris on board, he could see less touches. Will the Butler situation become combustible? Does that force Harris to re-evaluate staying in Philly? It could come down to how far the Sixers advance this postseason. A first- or second-round flameout would bring uncomfortable questions.
The 76ers are really going for it, and adding Harris may push them ahead of the other East contenders. If that's the mission, it makes sense.
But all big swings come with the possibility of striking out. The Sixers definitely knew that before executing this trade and decided it was worth the risk.
Clippers: A-
On the other side of the country, Los Angeles is trying to build a contender. The Clippers aren't close to that status now as the No. 8 seed in the West, so they traded their leading scorer knowing full well it could land them in the lottery.
Harris could have left LA for nothing in July, so the Clips sold high with him in the midst of a career year. This deal presents two paths: a standard rebuild with young players and future picks, or the preferred path of landing stars in free agency.
Chandler and Muscala are both on expiring contracts, and Shamet is only a rookie. Moving Danilo Gallinari's contract would easily allow the Clippers to open the necessary space for two marquee free agents. There are some terrific one-two possibilites out there with Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving all potentially available. The Clippers have long been rumored to be chasing Leonard, going so far as to consistently send executives to Raptors games.
One important aspect of this trade that could change the Clippers' outlook: the treasure chest of picks makes LA a much more realistic Anthony Davis suitor. This would obviously require the Pelicans to keep Davis past the deadline, but the Clips would have a strong chance to challenge the Celtics and Lakers depending on what New Orleans values most. Just this week, Davis reportedly indicated he would be willing to sign an extension with the Clippers.
If nothing else, the Clippers created options here, and they will be a major player in free agency. Missing out on the first round of the playoffs if fine if they can uplift the future course of the franchise in the process. This gives Los Angeles the tools to pull it off.
