Clippers Trade Tobias Harris To Philadelphia

The Clippers completed a blockbuster trade, agreeing to trade Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Mike Scott to the Philadelphia 76ers for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.

The concept of a trade between the Sixers and the Clippers was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, and the details were delivered by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This is the fifth time Harris has been traded in his NBA career, dating back to draft night when he was originally selected by Charlotte. It is the second straight year he has been traded to a different team after LA acquired him in January 2018 in the Blake Griffin trade. He will be moved with his best friend Boban Marjanovic for the second straight season.

The Clippers aim to pursue two max-level free agents this summer and would have been unable to re-sign Harris in that scenario. They take on very little future salary as both Chandler and Muscala are on expiring contracts and Shamet will be making less than $2 million in the second year of his rookie contract. LA also adds two additional first-round picks, including the 2021 unprotected Miami Heat first-rounder, which has made its way around the league through Phoenix, Philadelphia, and now Los Angeles.

Even as the Clippers have pleasantly surprised this season, the front office has prioritized flexibility and acquiring additional assets. This trade accomplishes both for LA, as the team picks up four draft picks and a promising rookie, and retains its clear cap sheet for the upcoming offseason.

Boban was a fan favorite and Mike Scott had been productive off the bench, especially recently, but the real loss in this deal is Harris, who had been the team’s leading scorer. It’s surreal to think that the Clippers traded him on the day he hit a game-winning shot for LA in its win over the Charlotte Hornets, the first team to ever trade him away.