Elton Brand Says 76ers Can 'Contend Now' After Trading for Tobias Harris
Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand believes the team's acquisitions ahead of the trade deadline—most notably landing Tobias Harris—put the team firmly in the NBA Finals discussion.
"We believe we are in position to contend now," Brand said Friday, per ESPN.com's Tim Bontemps. "And our moves reflect that belief."
Brand also joked the last few days haven't been without its problems, per Bontemps: "It's a lot of stress. I would tell parents don't let your kids grow up to be general managers."
In one of the NBA's bigger trades, Philadelphia sent Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott.
The Sixers also acquired Jonathon Simmons and James Ennis to help fill out their bench.
Brand spoke specifically about how the team coveted Harris.
"We had to add a player like that when we had the opportunity," he said. "We had targeted him as a player we would want if he became available, and we coveted him. We know he fits great into our system and he'll do well."
The Sixers might now have the best starting five in the Eastern Conference.
Harris is averaging 20.9 points and 7.9 rebounds, and his long-range shooting (43.4 three-point percentage) will help the team's spacing. He joins a unit that already included Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick.
Almost equally as important, Jonathon Simmons and Ennis provide much-needed depth that got sacrificed to facilitate the Harris trade.
According to NBA.com, the Sixers have a 13.3 net rating when Ben Simmons, Embiid, Butler and Redick are on the floor. Their net rating falls to minus-2.0 when those four go to the bench. While Philadelphia will clearly lean heavily on its starters in the playoffs, it needs to be able to trust its bench, too.
Two of the Sixers' East rivals weren't stagnant ahead of the deadline. The Milwaukee Bucks got Nikola Mirotic from the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Toronto Raptors acquired Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies, albeit at the cost of Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright and C.J. Miles.
Still, Philadelphia can now stack up well with anybody in the East and has a genuine shot at claiming its first conference title since 2001.
