In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a deal that will have a ripple effect across both conferences not only for the rest of this season, but for years to come. Philadelphia acquired Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott for Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, a protected 2020 Philadelphia first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick from the Miami Heat via the Sixers and two future second picks, both from the Detroit Pistons via the 76ers. It’s a massive trade-deadline swap that has immediate and long-range impacts for both teams. 76ers are all in, both now and in the future The Sixers had been looking for an upgrade at the power forward spot since they traded Dario Saric in the deal to acquire Jimmy Butler. They’ve found their man in Harris. Chandler had been fine for Philadelphia, but he’s injured and the Sixers want something more than just fine. Harris has been one of the better offensive players in the NBA this season, averaging over 20 points per game for the first time (20.9) on 50/43/88 shooting splits, which are easily the best of his career. He excels both with the ball in his hands and as a spot-up shooter, as he’s right near the top 10 in most shooting categories. In addition, Harris is averaging a career-high 7.9 rebounds per game. He’ll fill the four spot remarkably well for Philly, giving it some floor balance they lost when they traded Saric and Robert Covington in the Butler deal. Tobias Harris can fill some needs for the 76ers. (AP) And don’t overlook Marjanovic and Scott. Marjanovic gives Philadelphia a quality backup big behind Joel Embiid. He can give Embiid 15 minutes of rest per night, or could finally allow the Sixers to spot Embiid a game off here and there. And Scott is a better backup four than anyone Philadelphia has had all season. He’s a solid scoring option who can also rebound. Scott can spot Harris when necessary and allow Harris to slide to the three to give Butler rest. Or Philly could use Scott in jumbo lineups with Embiid, Harris, Butler and Simmons. Story continues The trade doesn’t come without risk for the 76ers. As it stands right now, they have precious little guard and wing depth. It’s T.J. McConnell and … well … not much else. Philadelphia will continue to be active looking for bench upgrades, both through the trade deadline and in buyout season. It has a couple of assets left to swing a trade with (Is it time to finally move on from Markelle Fultz?) and can offer both minutes and a rotation role on a contender to any veterans who get bought out. Beyond the depth issues, which could very well sort themselves out, the Sixers are still confined by the NBA rules of playing with only one basketball at a time. They’ve already had challenges with enough touches to go around to keep Embiid, Butler and Simmons happy. Harris is great off the ball, but he’s used to having it in his hands a lot, too. Coach Brett Brown can stagger minutes more to solve some of this, but in crunch time, he’s going to have to be judicious about drawing up plays to keep everyone happy. In addition, JJ Redick is a rhythm player who needs shots to stay engaged in the offense. It’s a challenge that Brown will happily undertake, but it’s a challenge nonetheless. Down the line, this trade could pay off in a few ways for Philadelphia. This summer both Butler and Harris are free agents, along with Redick. The 76ers’ plan was to renounce all their free agents except for Butler, get another big piece, and then re-sign Butler and Redick. Now, they’ve got that other big piece. That will make the Sixers operate as an over-the-cap team in July. But that’s not the worst thing. Now, they can use their Early Bird rights to give Redick a bump in salary, while preserving all of their mid-level exception for other players. And given the state of their bench, they’re going to need it. In addition, adding Harris gives Philly both protection and flexibility going forward. If Butler leaves, or the fit remains clunky, GM Elton Brand is positioned to move on from either player. Assuming they re-sign both Butler and Harris, Brand could later flip one of them (or, less likely, Simmons) for better fitting pieces, while also recouping some of the assets the team gave up to get Butler and Harris. Brand has acted quickly in his short tenure as Philadelphia’s general manager, and this sort of decisiveness was necessary to push things forward. If he can flesh out the rest of the rotation with some guard/wing depth, Brand has turned the 76ers from a good playoff team into a Finals contender in the span of a few months. And he did it while retaining flexibility going forward. That’s a win-win. Clippers punt this season for the future Speaking of being decisive, the Clippers, currently sitting in the eighth spot in the Western Conference, just said, “Meh, let’s blow up this thing.” It’s a move that speaks to being hyper-realistic about where they are, while prioritizing being in a much better place in the very near future. Los Angeles is having a good season. If all broke right, they’d compete for a playoff spot. But just making the postseason in the Western Conference means being first-round fodder for the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers have been to the playoffs enough recently that their fans don’t need to be sold on a “We’re just happy to be here!” season. They have bigger dreams. L.A. has been a two-team town for more than a decade now, but it’s always been the Lakers’ city. The Clippers haven’t even been the little brother. They’ve been like a third cousin who shows up every once and a while at your playoff party. For the first time now, the Clips are really poised to change that. By trading Harris for a bunch of expiring contracts, it takes the Clippers down a few pegs in the playoff race. It might even be the move that allows the Lakers to sneak in, assuming the upstart Sacramento Kings eventually fade (but don’t count on it). The Clippers will now look at what they can do to ship out the other veterans on their roster. Guards Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley could return small assets from a playoff team looking for backcourt help. Marcin Gortat has been shopped for a while now and could eventually be bought out. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Los Angeles try to flip Chandler or Muscala before the deadline. In addition, this trade puts L.A. in position to retain its own 2019 first-round draft pick. That pick would go to the Boston Celtics if the Clips make the playoffs. If Los Angeles is a lottery team, it keeps it. The pick will then roll to 2020 with the same protections. If it doesn’t convey to Boston at that point, it turns into a second-round pick. That’s a somewhat overlooked part of this trade for L.A. Basically, the Clippers’ goal is to hit the summer with only Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and players on their rookie-scale contracts still on the roster. They’ve got to find a home for Danilo Gallinari and his $22.6 million salary for 2019-20, but they’ve now got the draft capital to entice someone to bite on taking on his contract. If Los Angeles can pull that off, it would have two max salary slots, something only the New York Knicks can rival. It also has a respected veteran in Williams, a high-upside big in Harrell and one of everyone’s favorite young guards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to sell to free agents. That immediately makes the Clippers players for Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler (if he chooses to leave Philadelphia) and any other big names on the market. They’ve also got the assets to make a run at trading for Anthony Davis, with the promise of adding a second superstar alongside him.<doc-sep>Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press The Philadelphia 76ers acquired Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott early Wednesday morning for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Philadelphia's protected 2020 first-round pick, the Miami Heat's unprotected 2021 first-round pick and the Detroit Pistons' 2021 and 2023 second-round picks, the Clippers announced. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com first reported the move. The 2020 first-rounder is lottery-protected for three seasons and will become two second-rounders (2023 and 2024) if it doesn't convey, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Wojnarowski added the 76ers are "budgeting to re-sign and keep a new Big Four" of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Harris this summer. Harris was dealt to the 76ers shortly after he hit a game-winning shot in the Los Angeles Clippers' 20-point comeback against the Charlotte Hornets: Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated reported the trade came together in a matter of hours as the two sides only started discussing Harris on Tuesday. Video Play Button Videos you might like Short-term, the starting five of Embiid, Simmons, Butler, Harris and JJ Redick makes the Sixers title contenders. Long term, they are banking on re-signing Butler and Harris this offseason. Below the surface, the move is also a reminder to Embiid and Simmons that the Sixers are serious about a championship. That approach feels particularly relevant this season, with Anthony Davis seeking a trade out of New Orleans after the Pelicans failed to ever build a contender around him. As long as the Sixers have Embiid and Simmons, they should be in win-now mode, and this is a move in that direction. For the Clippers, the deal adds several valuable assets as they go big-fish hunting this summer. As Wojnarowski noted, Davis said he'd sign with the Clippers long term if he were traded there, and adding two first-round picks puts them in the running as a trade candidate. Using those assets to land either Davis or another major star—alongside signing Kawhi Leonard over the summer, who has long been rumored to want a return to his hometown—would be a coup. Getting those assets for a player they may not have been able to re-sign in Harris only sweetens the deal. For both Philadelphia and Los Angeles, the deal made sense. The Sixers land a player in Harris (20.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 49.6 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from three) who fits perfectly next to Embiid and Simmons long-term and improves their chances to reach the NBA Finals this season. It cost them a lot of future assets, which the Clippers can use in their plans to go star hunting themselves. This has the potential to be a rare win-win trade.<doc-sep>The first major trade deadline domino fell in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, as the Clippers and 76ers agreed upon a deal headlined by Tobias Harris joining Philadelphia and valuable draft capital headed to Los Angeles in exchange. The Clippers also sent Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott to Philly, with Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala headed the other way—in addition to Philadelphia’s 2020 lottery-protected, first-rounder and Miami’s unprotected 2021 first, plus two future second-rounders by way of Detroit in 2021 and 2023. It’s a lot to process, no pun intended, so let’s break down the deal. Sixers: A- If you’re going to move draft picks of substance, this is the way to do it. The Sixers continue to make abundantly clear that they’re all in on winning this season, adding a fringe All-Star-type talent in Harris—whose contract expires this summer and becomes the league’s most talented fourth banana east of the Bay Area. Nobody is looking forward to defending a five-man lineup of Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick, Jimmy Butler, Harris and Joel Embiid in crunch time, and the possibilities are immense. The Sixers were able to get this done while sacrificing only a trio of role players from their roster, and now might be the most fearsome roster in the East, at least on paper. Philadelphia will be able to stagger its stars and space the floor even more effectively with Harris at power forward, opening up space inside for Embiid and stretching out the driving lanes for Simmons. While Harris is now on his fifth team in eight seasons, it’s not a knock on him at this point. He’s an ideal fit for what the Sixers want out of their four-man and has been playing the best basketball of his career after turning down an $80 million extension from the Clippers last summer. He’s averaging a career-high 20.7 points per game, contributing on the glass, shooting 42% from outside, and playing efficient ball at age 26. To a much lesser extent, Marjanovic at least partially fills the Sixers’ need for a backup center, and Scott’s floor-spacing capability at least vibes with Philly’s preferences at the four. There’s a chance they get some useful run out of those guys down the stretch, too. MANNIX:Inside the Celtics’ Pursuit of Anthony Davis Thinking big-picture, this move gets more fascinating. The obvious catch is that Harris and Butler are both set to command max-type money in free agency this summer, and that Philadelphia appears likely to end up in a situation where it can only pay one of the two without incurring heavy cap penalties. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sixers are planning for a future (by my inference, at least a short-term one) with all four of their stars on board. The reason this is tenable is that Simmons is still on his rookie contract—although, crucially, he will be extension-eligible in July. If there is a creative way for Philadelphia to make this work, they are looking at a legitimate contention window with all four guys. Of course, they need to hope all their pieces and personalities mesh to the point where that becomes feasible, making the rest of this season even more critical, final playoff result aside. While Philadelphia may come to rue the loss of these draft choices, particularly if Butler, Harris, or both end up walking in the off-season, their gall here is commendable in an Eastern Conference that is still up for grabs. The primary asset of value is the 2021 Miami first, acquired in a draft-night trade from Phoenix, which based on the Heat’s present state could certainly end up in the lottery, but true to the nature of future draft picks remains highly variable. If their plan to keep their stars holds, Philly’s own first next season will be a late first-rounder. And at the end of the day, moving those two picks, (much less the seconds) is a relatively small price for creating a championship-caliber roster, and one that suddenly may net the premier personnel to switchably guard Golden State's multiple death lineups in a theoretical postseason matchup. Bottom line, if the Sixers get two or three deep playoff runs out of this deal, it’s unlikely they’ll have too much remorse. Expect them to continue exploring the buyout market and stay aggressive, with the rest of the conference now on notice. SHARP:Anthony Davis or Not, the LeBron Bargain has Never Been Clearer Clippers: A- This deal is exclusively about the bigger picture for Los Angeles, and if you understand the Clippers’ intended trajectory, then it’s more or less a no-brainer. The Clips have an aggressive, deep-pocketed owner in Steve Ballmer, and intend to turn their franchise into a destination. There’s no secret that L.A. has designs on pitching elite free agents this summer and in years to come, with Kawhi Leonard at the top of their wish list, and this move accomplishes several forward-thinking things of value in one swoop. Although Harris had fully blossomed this season and will have earned every penny of his next contract, he was never going to be the first priority for the Clippers in free agency this summer. Moving him for real value as opposed to watching him walk is a massive win for L.A., particularly when the return is two first-rounders. The critical thing to recognize is that the two draft picks (particularly Miami’s) are now movable, desirable elements of any Clippers trade package, enabling them to enter the bidding for star players whose situations become unstable over the next couple years. Additionally, if this deal leads to L.A. missing the playoffs, it could immediately create a third draft asset: the Clippers’ 2019 first-rounder is owed to Boston, yet remains lottery-protected. And without thinking too far ahead, this influx of first-round capital could make the Clippers legitimate players for Anthony Davis, should the Pelicans hold onto him at the deadline and field trade offers in June. If they’re serious about Davis, who listed them as a team he’d re-sign with, the Clippers can dangle multiple firsts and seconds and hypothetically, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a centerpiece. This is all about the possibilities. Of course, the big risk with this deal is a scenario where the Clippers whiff on top tier free agents and remain stuck in the middle next season, pining away for a franchise player. Still it’s unlikely that they wanted to commit elite-level money to Harris, who is more of a third-tier star at best, and getting this type of return for him is a major win. Whether they end up using the picks or not, the move makes L.A. infinitely more flexible going forward, preserves cap space with Chandler and Muscala’s expiring deals, and adds a moderately useful rookie-contract role player in Shamet. No matter the future means, this is a move that facilitates the acquisition of talent and improvement of the roster. Clearly, the Clippers can stomach missing this year’s playoffs to make gains for 2020 and beyond. Their fan base will have to adopt the same patience. When it comes to attracting NBA players, there are always worse things to double down on than the appeal of the Los Angeles market. Applaud the Clips for being shrewd and transparent with this one, which looks like a philosophical win for both sides.<doc-sep>
Adrian Wojnarowski breaks down how the Clippers' trade with the 76ers gives them an opportunity to make big moves and possibly acquire Anthony Davis. (1:25) PHILADELPHIA -- In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, what already has been a wild NBA trade deadline received another boost when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Philadelphia 76ers completed a blockbuster deal with the LA Clippers for forward Tobias Harris. The full deal -- Philadelphia getting Harris, center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike Scott in exchange for forward Wilson Chandler, guard Landry Shamet, center Mike Muscala, Philadelphia's 2020 first-round pick, the Miami Heat's unprotected 2021 first-round pick and two second-rounders -- has wide-ranging implications around the league. Here's a quick rundown: 1. Philadelphia's star-laden starting five By adding Harris -- and not sacrificing any of their top four players to do so -- Philadelphia now has a starting five of Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, Harris and Joel Embiid. The only team that can compare to them in the league at this point are the Golden State Warriors. After this move, Philadelphia can at least dream about reaching the NBA Finals this June. Editor's Picks Trade grades: Big winners in the blockbuster Tobias Harris deal The Lakers shouldn't trade everything for Anthony Davis 1 Related Harris is the ideal piece to slot in next to Philadelphia's other stars. He's a terrific shooter (hitting 43.4 percent of his 3-pointers this season, and shooting just less than 50 percent overall) and can fit in tandem with any of Philly's stars -- something that will matter greatly as the Sixers are going to be searching for plenty of depth. But Philadelphia should be able to have a minimum of two, if not three, of these five on the floor at any one time, which can help mitigate those depth issues. 2. A full-scale search for a bench Even after making this move for Harris, Philadelphia is still staring at the glaring weakness it had before doing this deal: athleticism off the bench. Scott will replace Muscala as the team's backup power forward (where he's actually a better fit), while Marjanovic will give them an intriguing look against bigger backup big men and Jonah Bolden can possibly get spot minutes against smaller ones. Among backup guards and wings, though, here is Philadelphia's current assortment of players: T.J. McConnell, Furkan Korkmaz, and injured guards Markelle Fultz and Zhaire Smith. Assuming Philadelphia doesn't turn Fultz into players who can help now -- and coach Brett Brown said Tuesday Fultz isn't anywhere close to returning -- expect the Sixers to be a heavy player for any guard on the buyout market who springs free. Wesley Matthews is the most obvious name, but any other that pops up will immediately garner interest. Corey Brewer also is likely to make a return to the roster once the deadline passes. 3. Clippers retooling ... and resetting One of the questions executives around the league have been pondering over the past several weeks is the Clippers' direction at the deadline. Facing the possibility of handing over their first-round pick if they make the playoffs, would the Clippers actually go for it? Or would they instead pivot and use their many interesting players on expiring deals to net future assets? LA chose the latter. And doing so netted the Clippers an incredible haul in all of these picks. That doesn't even include Shamet, who has been one of the most pleasant surprises from this rookie class. 2019 NBA trade deadline We've got you covered on the biggest deals going down at the NBA trade deadline. • All the trades, grades and intel • Trade tracker: Details on every move • Davis is still a Pelican -- now what? • What's next for Markelle Fultz in Orlando? • How good are the Raptors with Gasol? • Trade machine: You be the GM Now the Clippers will be able to continue into the summer with their plan to land a pair of star free agents (led by Kawhi Leonard, their top and most likely target) while also not having to worry about the possibility of losing out on their backup plan in Harris, who was likely to draw heavy interest himself once free agency began. It also adds to their coffers for a potential trade for a star either now, this summer or beyond. 4.