PHILADELPHIA _ The 76ers' bar is set.
"I'd be disappointed for sure if we don't get to the Eastern Conference Finals and do well," general manager Elton Brand said at a press conference Friday morning.
The expectations changed for the Eastern Conference's fifth-place team because of a flurry of moves before Thursday's trade deadline. The Sixers' biggest acquisition was power forward Tobias Harris, a fringe All-Star talent.
In a win-now move, they acquired him along with 7-foot-3 center Boban Marjanovic and power forward Mike Scott from the Los Angeles Clippers for rookie guard Landry Shamet, veterans Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala and four draft picks: a protected 2020 first-rounder, the Miami Heat's 2021 first-rounder, a Detroit Pistons 2021 second-rounder, and the Pistons' 2023 second-rounder.
The Sixers also acquired James Ennis from the Houston Rockets for the right to swap second-round picks in the 2021 draft. And they traded Markelle Fultz to the Orlando Magic for Jonathon Simmons, a 2019 second-round pick, and a 2020, top-20-protected first-rounder.
Marjanovic, Scott, Ennis, and Simmons will provide much-needed depth on the bench.
Meanwhile, the Sixers believe Harris complements and strengthens the core group they already had in center Joel Embiid, point guard Ben Simmons, and small forward Jimmy Butler. Embiid was voted an All-Star starter for the second consecutive season, Simmons was named an All-Star reserve this season, and Butler is a four-time All-Star.
With the additions, Brand was asked how disappointed he would be if the Sixers didn't get to the NBA Finals.
"Our goal is to get to the Finals," Brand said. "You have to get to the Eastern Conference Finals before you get to the Finals. But yeah, absolutely, I'd be disappointed."
The Sixers (34-20) are a half-game behind the Boston Celtics for fourth place in the conference standings. The Milwaukee Bucks (40-13), Toronto Raptors (40-16), and Indiana Pacers (36-19) are the top three teams.
As exciting as the Sixers have been this season, they weren't quite built to reach the conference finals. But after the trade, they're on the same level as Celtics, the Raptors and the Bucks, who had the best odds to get there.
