Sixers trade three players to Clippers for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Mike Scott in blockbuster deal
The Sixers are sending Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, Wilson Chandler and multiple draft picks to the Clippers.
The 76ers have traded Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, and Wilson Chandler to the Los Angeles Clippers for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Mike Scott, the Sixers announced Wednesday.
In addition to the three players, the Sixers sent a lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 unprotected first-round pick (via Miami), a 2021 second-round pick (via Detroit), and a 2023 second-round pick (via Detroit) to the Clippers.
The trade went down in the wee hours of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, hours after the Sixers' 119-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors. That defeat only emphasized the Sixers' need to improve their roster if they plan on competing with the Eastern Conference’s elite teams in a run for the NBA Finals, and they did just that.
In acquiring Harris, Marjanovic, and Scott, the Sixers front office proved it was not holding back in its pursuit of a championship this season.
The Sixers will now have a starting lineup of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, and Harris.
At 26, Harris is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 20.7 points and shooting 42.2 percent from three. Harris will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The risk with this deal is that Harris could leave after this season, just as Butler could. But if the Sixers prove to be a legitimate contender and persuade both Harris and Butler to re-sign, the reward could be huge with one of the most fearsome starting lineups in the league.
While not highly regarded for his defensive abilities, Harris, at 6-foot-9, gives the Sixers a strong, lengthy body who can space the floor and is switchable.
Marjanovic, a 7-3 center, provides another option behind Embiid, especially against larger opponents whom Jonah Bolden isn’t able to handle.
Scott, while not a volume scorer, is another big body who is able to knock down shots. The 6-8 power forward is shooting 38 percent from three-point range on 2.5 attempts per game this season.
The Sixers still have an open roster spot and are expected to make more moves, whether before Thursday’s trade deadline or afterward in the buyout market.
On the other end of the trade, the Clippers got exactly what they wanted: expiring contracts of Chandler and Muscala, and multiple assets in Shamet and draft picks — and cap space for big-name free agents this offseason (namely, Kawhi Leonard), or the ability to put together an attractive trade package with valuable future chips for an equally big name such as Anthony Davis.
The Sixers' next game will be Friday when the team hosts the Denver Nuggets. All players involved in the trade would have to pass physicals in their new cities for Harris, Marjanovic, and Scott to be available to play.
Harris took to Twitter moments after the trade was reported, showing his excitement for joining the Philadelphia squad by tweeting a gif of Will Smith on a basketball court from the opening of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.