(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
It seems like yesterday I was watching the Sixers play the Raptors, thinking they need another player to hang with the likes of Toronto and Boston. Well, as a matter of fact, it was yesterday. Elton Brand must have been thinking the same thing as he was watching the Raptors dominate the Sixers. While I was sleeping, he was at work making sure the Sixers got that missing piece. I nearly jumped off my bed this morning reading the “Woj bomb” as I scrolled through my notifications.
It was clear after watching last nights game, the Sixers were not at the level they needed to be at to make the finals this year and beyond. The trade made by Elton Brand last night changes that. In addition to Harris, the Sixers were able to get a back up center for Embiid as well as a pros pro in Mike Scott to come off the bench. The Sixers now have arguably the best starting five of any team in the eastern conference. They will now become an even more popular destination for players that will hit the buyout market.
In the long term, they will have the cap flexibility to bring back both Harris and Butler if they want to remain Sixers. I still believe there is another shoe to drop before the deadline is over. I think Markelle Fultz’s days as a Sixer are numbered. The Sixers are going all in, and it seems that they have run out of patience with the former first overall pick. If he does stay on the team past the deadline, he won’t be on it after this year’s draft. Buckle your seatbelts, the Harris trade is just the beginning of the madness that will ensue before the deadline.
