The Los Angeles Clippers didn’t figure to be doing much on the trade deadline given their aspirations for the upcoming free agency. But that has all changed now with a mega trade that has gone down between the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers with Tobias Harris being the centerpiece of the deal.
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Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported the trade which has pushed the 76ers further ahead and in return the Clippers have cleared their books further and added picks for the upcoming drafts that they could package in a trade for a superstar.
The trade saw the Clippers received: Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, 2020 first-rounder, 2021 unprotected 1st via Miami and 2 second rounders.
The Philadelphia 76ers received: Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott.
The trade makes the Sixers an even stronger force in the East with 4 All-Star calibre players in the team now.
A starting 5 of Simmons-Reddick-Butler-Harris-Embiid may mean a shake-up in the power ranking in the east where the Sixers and Celtics have been considered second tier contenders behind the Raptors and Bucks.
With the Boston Celtics also finding their stride, the fight for the best team in the East might have just been blown wide open.
The trade doesn’t come without its potential pitfalls though. While Sixers want to retain the core of 4 for the long term future, fact remains that both Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler are free agents in the summer.
The Sixers have leveraged their future picks and a lot of their depth to get both players and if either or both of them decide Philly isn’t the best option for their future, the Sixers could struggle to build a contender.
For the Clippers Tobias Harris presented a back-up option for the Summer, were they to fail in landing the two superstars that they are chasing. But they have bigger ambitions and have gone all-in on chasing stars like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, who all present higher value than Tobias Harris.
Wilson Chandler’s expiring deal helps balance the salaries and ensures the Clippers keep their books clean for the summer, so does Mike Muscala’s. Landry Shamet and the picks represent good value for the future of the Clippers, whether they wish to use them to build depth or trade them for other players, with the Miami 2021 unprotected first possibly holding high value.
As the Trade Deadline gets closer and closer all eyes were on Los Angeles, but the Blue half of the town has stolen a march by pulling off a blockbuster trade and while only the Summer Free Agency will show if their gamble pays off, its a step in the right direction for both teams who are looking to build strong contenders in either conference.
