Despite Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations shutting down the rumors of a Jaylen Brown-Ben Simmons swap, it’s believed that the Philadelphia 76ers are still aiming to pry the former #3 overall pick out of Beantown for their troubled point forward.
In a piece titled “10 Likeliest Players Sixers Are Eyeing Until Ben Simmons Saga Ends”, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz had Brown listed as the #4 player on his list.
The players listed appear progressively less acquirable as the countdown goes on, with #4 Brown and no.’s 3-1 (Bradley Beal, James Harden, Damian Lillard) all being practically off the table for a host of reasons, including but not limited to the potential swap being woefully one-sided in Philly’s favor.
Swartz cited the team’s ability to win without Brown this season and the potential for the ‘Jays’ being proven to not be amenable as a pairing:
"Boston is just 10-10 to begin the year, a season after they finished 36-36. In the nine games Brown has missed because of injury, however, the Celtics are a surprising 6-3.The future of Jayson Tatum and Brown together is certainly one teams around the NBA will keep tabs on, although there’s no reason for a split yet with both under contract for the next three-plus years.If there’s any rumblings of the Celtics looking for a new co-star next to Tatum, Philly should strike."
Truthfully, aiming for Brown in any Simmons return is simply aiming too high for the 76ers, who opened the season 8-2 without the 2016 #1 overall pick themselves.
That they sit at 11-10 at the moment is certainly troublesome, but they also missed Joel Embiid for nine games because of the big man’s bout with COVID-19. Things should even out once more with him back.
Even if they don’t, though, Sixers fans need to move on from the idea that Jaylen Brown is attainable in any Ben Simmons trade that doesn’t involve at least one more star heading to the Boston Celtics as well.