Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand continues to go all in with his trades

Having originally inherited a developing young nucleus, Elton Brand continues to push the Philadelphia 76ers further into contention status.

The date wasn’t long ago — May 9, 2018, to be exact. The Philadelphia 76ers had just suffered a disheartening 114-112 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, eliminating them from the playoff bracket.

Despite being down two All-Stars, the Celtics had outplayed, out-hustled and out-executed the Sixers. It was a disappointing end to a season that far exceeded expectations, thanks in large part to Philly’s new dynamic duo.

At just 21 and 24 years of age, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid had blossomed in their first year sharing the court together. One was an All-Star, while an argument could’ve been made for the other. The two had drawn comparisons to some of the games greatest pairings in leading the Sixers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012, so while the postseason failure would sting at the moment, nobody doubted the inevitable bounce-back that would follow in the coming years.

Fast forward to February of 2019, and that slow, methodical process the Sixers appeared to have been on has been given quite the kick in the rear end, replaced instead with a title-or-bust mentality that has shaped their most recent acquisitions.

When most first-time general managers land an NBA gig, they do very little to rock the boat for fear of getting axed. Elton Brand has not been like most first-time GMs. After having had a similar role with Philly’s G League team, he felt confident enough in both his skills and decision-making to pull off not one, but two blockbusters deals in the span of about four months.

In November, Brand acquired disgruntled All-Star Jimmy Butler, a trade that essentially ended the infamous Process and illuminated the path to a championship. The results since then have been mostly positive with a 25-14 record. However, a Butler team is never without friction, and some are still quick to question the fit of the league’s newest Big 3.

Then, while most of the east coast was sound asleep, the former player himself swung a deal that netted the Sixers Tobias Harris, a burly forward who had been posting career-best numbers across the board for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The price for these two players wasn’t cheap by any means. Butler’s presence required the departure of two staples of the Process in Robert Covington and Dario Saric, along with Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second round pick.

In order to obtain the services of Harris, Brand gave up promising rookie guard Landry Shamet, veterans Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala, and two picks in each of the two rounds, including the coveted 2021 unprotected first round pick of the Miami Heat.

Did the rookie GM give up to much for these two forwards? It’s a question that may take a few years to truly answer, but no matter what happens, it’s important to give credit where it’s due.

So many general managers across the sports landscape fail to perform their job at the highest possible level, not because they’re incompetent (jury’s still out on that one, actually), but because one wrong move can cost them their job. So they do little to nothing, content to collect checks and watch their team suffer.

The Sixers now have one of the most talented starting fives in the NBA. This level of competitiveness is something fans have dreamed of since Sam Hinkie first arrived in May of 2013, and it’s a level they’ve gotten to because of their new GM’s desire to take nothing for granted and strike while the iron’s still hot.