Update: The Sixers made the deal official Wednesday afternoon.
Elton Brand clearly isn't messing around in his first season as general manager.
The Sixers at a little after 2 a.m. on Wednesday agreed to a blockbuster deal for forward Tobias Harris, center Boban Marjanovic and guard Mike Scott, a team source confirms to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Sixers will send rookie Landry Shamet along with veterans Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala plus their own lottery-protected first-rounder in 2020, Miami's unprotected first in 2021 and two second-rounders, to L.A. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the trade.
The clear prize of this deal is Harris. The 26-year-old forward is having a career year, averaging 20.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from three - all of which would be career-high marks. There are those around the league that believe Harris was an All-Star snub.
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He slots perfectly into the four spot in the Sixers' starting five, which will now feature Harris, All-Stars Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler along with the elite shooting of JJ Redick. It gives the Sixers arguably the second-best starting group in the entire NBA behind the Warriors.
This will be Harris' fifth NBA stop since being selected in the first round (19th overall) out of Tennessee in 2011. His marked improvement as a three-point shooter is one of the biggest reasons Harris has become a valued commodity. During the first six seasons of his career, Harris shot below average from behind the arc at 33 percent. During his last two seasons with the Pistons and Clippers, he's shot at an elite rate, hitting threes at 42 percent clip on 5.2 attempts a night. His length and athleticism will also play very well into what the Sixers do defensively.
pic.twitter.com/eAq7BEdG1c — Tobias Harris (@tobias31) February 6, 2019
Like Butler, Harris will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. It adds to the risk of the move and it'll be interesting to see how the Sixers navigate all that.
Marjanovic and Scott might find roles off the Sixers' bench. Marjanovich is a massive human at 7-foot-3 and 290 pounds. He could struggle to keep up with the Sixers' pace, but if they need someone to just bang underneath, he could do the trick. Scott has had his issues off the court, but could be an intriguing three-and-D option.
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Make no mistake, the Sixers paid a heavy price. While Chandler and Muscala are nothing more than expiring contracts, Shamet was a first-round pick that clearly exceeded expectations. His shooting and poise were a huge boost to a thin bench. The Heat pick could also prove to be incredibly valuable. Miami will shed a few of its horrendous contracts by then, but still won't exactly be in a great spot cap wise.
The crazy thing is, the deadline isn't ever here yet and the buyout market will be right behind it. The Sixers may not be done.
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