Elton Brand probably orders three entrees at dinner and then figures it out when they get to the table. I joke, but the Sixers' maverick general manager completed the second blockbuster of his short tenure early on Wednesday morning in a six-player trade that sends multiple first-round picks along with rookie sharpshooter Landry Shamet and veteran forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to the LA Clippers for Tobias Harris, Mike Scott and Boban Marjanovic, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The immediate statistical ramifications are most felt on the Clippers' roster, as Harris produced a career-best 20.9 PPG and is one of just seven NBA players in the past four seasons to score as many as 20 PPG while sustaining a true shooting rate of at least .600 (a measure of scoring efficiency from all three levels) with at least seven rebounds per game. Harris' peers in this club are James Harden, Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Stepping into the offensive void left by Harris, we find scoring microwave Lou Williams enjoy a team-high surge in usage (3.1 percent) with Harris off the floor, followed closely by gifted scoring forward Danilo Gallinari (2.5 percent). Williams tallied 31 points on Tuesday night, signaling he's prepared to assume a heavier scoring workload. Stock for both veterans is decidedly up for these next few months.
We also find Montrezl Harrell producing 4.2 more fantasy points per 36 minutes (using DraftKings' scoring key) with Harris off the court -- as he's due for more rebounding opportunities and interior touches going forward. Shamet is an exciting young shooting prospect but is unlikely to surface as a relevant fantasy option this season. One name I'm adding in all formats is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has produced 2.6 combined blocks and steals and 7.2 combined dimes and boards during the past week and could truly take off if the team hands him the keys to the offense.
For Philly, they now go with an offensive blitzkrieg agenda featuring Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, Harris, and Joel Embiid in the starting lineup. Whew. Even before adding Harris, the 76ers were the only team in the NBA with four players averaging at least 17 PPG this season. Brett Brown will need to figure out how to satiate all these capable options, but I'm guessing that with such a thin bench, we see plenty of staggering with an eye on pairing Simmons with Harris for extended windows (Butler and Embiid often pair up to maximize pick-and-roll utility).
Harris' usage could dip a bit in Philly, but I'd also wager he'll get even better looks in an offense orchestrated around ball movement. I view Harris' move to Philly as somewhat lateral in the fantasy sense, given the potential trade of increased efficiency for volume. I think fantasy free agents will emerge from this roster once they make additional trades or secure buyout targets, such as the Knicks' Wesley Matthews. As a Sixers fan, I appreciate the boldness of the move, especially ahead of what should be a competitive, if not contentious, free-agent market this July.
A few weeks ago, I would have guessed we'd witness a somewhat quiet trade deadline, but the lesson is to never guess what the NBA is going to do. Instead, let's prove reactive and proactive, as a flurry of other influential moves could ensue in the coming hours leading up to the trade deadline.
Tuesday recap
Highlights
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 37 points (10-20 FG), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 4 TO
Tobias Harris, LA Clippers: 34 points (13-21 FG), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 TO
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets: 32 points (11-23 FG), 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals
Lowlights
Nicolas Batum, Charlotte Hornets: 9 points (4-9 FG), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 TO
Michael Beasley, Los Angeles Lakers: 0 points (0-8 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 TO
Tuesday takeaways
In preparing for his All-Star appearance, we find Dwyane Wade warming up in the scoring department, as he tallied 22 points on 17 shots last night and now has consecutive 20-point games for the first time this season. Wade could be a worthy streaming option leading into the break, while teammate James Johnson flashed his diverse defensive game last night with five combined blocks and steals and also merits attention in deeper leagues.
Jayson Tatum tallied his fourth 25-point game of the season in downing the Cavs last night. Al Horford didn't wow in the scoring department with just nine points, but with eight dimes he's now up to 6.2 APG the past five games. The Celtics have now won 10 of 11 with their only loss coming to the Warriors during this stretch. As I've advised all season, go get Marcus Smart on your team and dominate the steals category.
The Memphis Grizzlies secured consecutive wins for first time since late December, while the Timberwolves have lost 15 of their last 17 in Memphis. Mike Conley has been a popular name in trade rumors and yet continued to be the consummate pro with 25 points in the win and now has at least 20 points in four straight. Jaren Jackson Jr. tallied 23 points and six rebounds with Marc Gasol resting. Jackson could become a fantasy star if the team moves Gasol by tomorrow.
Russell Westbrook posted his seventh career game with 15-15-15 (points, rebounds, assists), placing him one shy of Wilt Chamberlain for second-most in NBA history (Oscar Robertson leads the pack). Paul George netted his fifth-straight 35-point game, the longest streak in Thunder/SuperSonics history.
Injuries of note
The Suns' Devin Booker is questionable ahead of tonight's matchup with the Jazz due to another hamstring issue. Booker left Monday's game against Houston but told reporters he'd be fine for Wednesday's game. Keep a close eye on Booker's status, as Josh Jackson and Kelly Oubre Jr. both enjoy sizable surges in usage sans Booker from the floor this season.
Analytics advantage for Wednesday
The Spurs are resting key veterans LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan for "load management" for tonight's meeting with the Warriors. While this is essentially conceding the game to Golden State, it also signals an excellent window for Rudy Gay tonight -- he has enjoyed a massive 8.5 percent leap in usage with both Aldridge and DeRozan off the floor this season.
Top players to watch tonight
Leveraging my crude (as in some simple formulas on Excel), but seemingly effective, model for projecting DFS value, I'm interested in shares of Chicago's Zach LaVine in a choice matchup with the Pelicans. While Jrue Holiday is a gifted defender, the Pelicans are 24th in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions, setting up this game with a healthy point total (223.5) and a pick-em point spread, indicating a potentially competitive contest with promising offensive expectations.
