There are many painful elements to the Jaylen Brown trade for the Celtics, but perhaps the worst is that they’ve given the 76ers hope. Sure, the Sixers were already riding high after erasing a 3-1 deficit and beating Boston in the first round, but then they got emasculated by the Knicks in round two as their arena got completely taken over.
And their books were still underwater with Joel Embiid and Paul George taking up max contract slots. They had little hope for the future other than waiting for those deals to expire, hoping Tyrese Maxey didn’t develop a wandering eye, and hoping to build a team around VJ Edgecombe someday.
But now, the entire narrative around the team has flipped. They have two All-NBA guys in Brown and Maxey, plus a former MVP in Embiid, and a budding young star in VJ. There’s some real excitement around the team, and whether you think it’ll work out or not, they are certainly in better shape than they were.
76ers appear to be on the table for LeBron James in free agency
Part of that newfound hope is also the thought that LeBron James might pick Philadelphia in free agency, which seems much more plausible with JB in tow.
James already had connections with Mike Gansey, and he loves Maxey, another Klutch client, but Brown gives them a real chance to win. When Rich Paul busted out his legendary whiteboard on his podcast, he had Philly as an inner contender, and he mentioned the Brown trade getting James’ attention.
Their lineup is missing a power forward to bring it all together, and LeBron would perfectly fill that void, as pointed out by Paul and Max Kellerman on the show. Most people seem to think James will finish his career in Cleveland, Miami, or Golden State, but the Sixers seem to have real traction.
And wouldn’t that be the ultimate twist of the knife for Celtics fans? As if it’s not already bad enough watching our guy, Jaylen Brown, go to the hated 76ers right after they beat Boston. To think of him being part of ‘the process’ now, teaming up with Embiid and Maxey, and having to go against that team at least four times a season.
James choosing Philly for Brown would make trade even more painful
If this move caused James to head to Philly on a minimum, that would just be the cherry on top. One of the biggest villains in Boston sports history, a rival for over 20 years, willingly choosing to go to another huge rival and team up with a Boston icon. That would be too much to take, and it could actually make that Philly team dangerous.
Overall, I have my doubts about things working out. I think Brown, Maxey, and Embiid are an awkward fit with three guys who want the ball and aren’t nearly as impactful without it. But James could be the great equalizer. He could come in and bring everyone together, leading by example and getting everyone to buy in and sacrifice to win. That’s a scary proposition.
No matter how you feel about the trade, it’s going to be painful to watch Brown suit up for the 76ers. If this trade opens the door for LeBron to go finish his career in Philadelphia and he helps turn that team into a real contender, that would be even worse.
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