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Tag: Jaylen Brown

  • What the Sixers are saying about the Jaylen Brown trade, from ‘Oh, snap!’ to ‘It’s going to be special’

    What the Sixers are saying about the Jaylen Brown trade, from ‘Oh, snap!’ to ‘It’s going to be special’

    LAS VEGAS — Jaylen Brown has made one brief Sixers appearance, sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game.

    Still, the acquisition of the All-NBA wing was one of the more prominent topics throughout his new team’s stay in Las Vegas. There were entertaining stories about how various Sixers found out about the blockbuster trade, illustrating how stunning the move was even to those close to it. And there was excitement for how Brown is expected to enhance a talented roster now with realistic aspirations to contend.

    Here is what the Sixers are saying about Brown:

    Inside Sixers: The LeBron James waiting game, Labaron Philon Jr.’s creativity, and more from Las Vegas Summer League

    VJ Edgecombe

    Edgecombe was in his native Bahamas — and at a spa — when he accidentally missed multiple calls from Sixers executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson.

    Then, when he saw a text from Nelson asking to call him as soon as possible, Edgecombe got nervous.

    “I was like, ‘Man, it’s free agency, why you calling me so much?’” Edgecombe recalled. “I thought I was gone.”

    VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown will be the defensive pillars of the Sixers. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The actual news Nelson wanted to share — that the trade for Brown was about to happen — still “shocked” Edgecombe, calling it “the last thing I expected.” Edgecombe also described it as “bittersweet” because of the quick rapport he developed with the outgoing Paul George, but said he is eager to play with Brown while at the “peak of his career.”

    Justin Edwards

    This trade was kept so under wraps that even Edwards did not catch wind of it while at the Sixers’ facility on the day it popped.

    Edwards had just finished a pool conditioning workout and glanced at the television on a sports program dissecting all the league-wide offseason moves. And did a double-take.

    “They were talking about Jaylen Brown and PG, but I didn’t pay attention to it,” Edwards said. “I [saw] it, but I looked away. Then I looked again. I’m like, ‘Oh, snap!’ So I called ’Rese [Tyrese Maxey] and he was like, ‘Yeah, man, I knew since this morning.’ I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’”

    Dean Wade

    Wade had already agreed to sign with the Sixers as a free agent the night before the Brown trade. Wade said he was intrigued by a brief “rumor” he heard about the possibility of such a move, but believed it had died out. Then, “all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it just kind of popped back up and it was a done deal.”

    As a versatile wing defender who has played his entire career in the Eastern Conference, Wade has plenty of first-hand experience with trying to counter Brown’s offensive prowess and “edge.” He called Brown “definitely one of the toughest people I’ve had to guard. Especially last year, he was just a monster.”

    “He gets to his spots [on the court],” Wade said. “It doesn’t really matter if you’re there or not. If you don’t block it, it’s going in, probably. … His size and his athleticism and his skill, they all go hand-in-hand.

    “He’s hard to stay in front of. And then he’s also a lot stronger than people think. So he gives you a little bump in the paint [and] it’s kind of hard to recover from that.”

    Labaron Philon Jr.

    The rookie guard said he was not overly shocked when he heard about the trade because he prides himself on keeping his emotions in check. But he knows Brown is going to be a valuable resource during his first NBA season.

    Before Mike Gansey became a Sixers executive, he was a hard-nosed high school player that earned LeBron James’ respect

    “He has that championship DNA,” Philon said. “I feel like, as a young guy, that’s somebody you want to look up to [and] somebody you want to learn from. Somebody that’s already been in that moment, he can help all the other guys too that haven’t reached that level yet [and] help us get over that hump.

    “With him coming in, I feel like it’s going to be special. We’re going to go at it at practice. He’s going to push me. I’m going to try to push him to the next level.”

    Anfernee Simons

    Simons is joining a new team in the Sixers, but reuniting with a former teammate in Brown. They played together with the Celtics for part of last season, before Simons was traded to the Chicago Bulls at the February deadline.

    Simons called Brown “kind of the epitome” of a two-way player.

    “He’s going to guard the best [opposing] player and go out there and give you 30 [points],” Simons said during his first media availability as a Sixer. “That’s what makes him special, what makes him different.

    “So he’s going to come in and bring that championship mentality from Day 1 and try to instill that in the team.”

    Mike Gansey

    The Sixers’ new president of basketball operations landed Brown by following advice he learned while working his way up the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office: Make the call. Gansey then aimed to assuage Brown’s initial shock about being traded to the rival Sixers with this simple message: “I want you on my team.”

    “I’ve watched him against Cleveland, and he’s always killed us,” Gansey said. “ … We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated. He’s going to be great for everyone because the young guys want that. He’s been a champion and Finals MVP. I think Joel [Embiid is] in a great space and he’s excited, as well.

    Mike Gansey shared a simple message with Jaylen Brown after the blockbuster trade: “I want you on my team.”Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    “Obviously, we’ve got to see what it looks like. You can’t win a trade in July. … Until we actually have a practice or a game, you just don’t know. You hope it’s going to work out, but it’ll take some time, I’m sure.

    “I would have never envisioned this, when I’m sitting there [for my introductory news conference in early June]. … Just opportunities arise. And that’s why, this business, you can plan all you want and prepare, but you just don’t know. Things happen.”

    Dalen Terry

    Terry was taking a nap — with his cell phone and his baby daughter resting on his chest — when the calls and messages about the trade started pouring in.

    “I’m like, ‘Am I still on the team?!’” Terry said once he checked his phone. “ … I’m like, ‘OK, who was it for?’ They said PG [and] I’m like, ‘Dang …’

    “I was just thinking about PG the whole time. Then I was like, ‘Wait, we got Jaylen Brown.’”

    Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    Nick Nurse

    The Sixers’ coach praised Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, along with his competitiveness and winning pedigree.

    “You watch him get a lot better from year to year to year,” Nurse said, “and how much harder that became to game plan for him. … He’s sitting in his prime. It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”

    T.J. DiLeo

    When asked about Brown sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game, DiLeo had a confession.

    “Can I tell you the truth?” the summer Sixers’ coach said. “I didn’t even see him. I try not to look over there that much, but that is amazing to have him here. … The guys seeing him, obviously, that’s great. That’s what we’re looking for with our team, just the support of one another, the support of the organization. So that’s really cool that he [was] here, man.

    “I wish [I’d seen] him now. I probably [would have] looked over and would have shook his hand afterward, or something.”

  • Jayson Tatum finally reacts to the Jaylen Brown trade: ‘If I’m being transparent, it’s weird’

    Jayson Tatum finally reacts to the Jaylen Brown trade: ‘If I’m being transparent, it’s weird’

    It’s been two weeks since the seismic Jaylen Brown trade to the 76ers, and his former teammate and co-star, Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum, finally has a response.

    “If I’m being transparent, it’s weird,” Tatum said in an ESPN interview at the ESPY Awards. “I’ve been on the Celtics for nine years, and he was my teammate every single one of those.”

    LeBron James has been living it up while the NBA world awaits his next decision

    Tatum joined Brown in Boston as the No. 3 draft pick in 2017, one year after Brown himself was selected third. Since then, the duo has played more than 600 games together and won a championship in 2024. Despite that bond, Tatum said he understands that “the NBA is a business” and is ready to turn his focus to next season.

    “There’s still a human element of it that you feel those emotions. The city feels those emotions,” Tatum said. “But there’s also a side of like, we have to welcome our new teammates in with open arms, and we still have to attack the new season.

    “So there’s like a balance,” he added. “But it’s weird.”

    The reaction to Tatum’s response has been largely one of frustration among Celtics fans. Many of the top comments on X under a video of the interview call Tatum “fake” and say he “was asking for it.” The trade, which sent 36-year-old Paul George to Boston, has the team reshaping its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. Tatum agreed in the interview that the team has a lot of work to do.

    Jaylen Brown (left) and Jayson Tatum (right) spent nine seasons together with the Boston Celtics.Michael Dwyer

    For Brown, the emotions about leaving Boston are complicated also. He expressed his thoughts in a statement on social media.

    “I’m still processing how this all went down,” Brown said. “I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.”

    He added in a Twitch stream that he is “excited for what comes next” despite the “lack of respect” from his former team.

    Philadelphia, however, is prepared to welcome him with open arms. New 76ers president Mike Gansey expressed his gratitude, “We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated,” he said. Brown will be eligible to sign an extension with the Sixers on July 26.

    For now, both players and fans seem to agree on one thing: after nine years together, there’s no clean way to say goodbye.

  • Mike Gansey ‘never would have envisioned’ landing Jaylen Brown in his first Sixers offseason — and is happy to wait on LeBron James’ decision

    Mike Gansey ‘never would have envisioned’ landing Jaylen Brown in his first Sixers offseason — and is happy to wait on LeBron James’ decision

    LAS VEGAS — When Mike Gansey wakes up each morning, he needs to remind himself what city he is in. Because his first month as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations has been a whirlwind.

    He has spent the past week getting an up-close look at first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr., whose crafty handle and scoring gumption already have stood out during NBA Summer League play. Before that, Gansey was in the Bahamas to watch electric second-year guard VJ Edgecombe play for his national team during FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Gansey’s Vegas stay came in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, which jolted the NBA and reignited the Sixers’ fan base.

    And, “like the rest of the NBA,” Gansey is awaiting LeBron James’ free agency decision.

    “We’d love to have him in Philly,” Gansey told The Inquirer on Tuesday morning from the Sixers’ team hotel. “I think he’d really, really help us and add to our group. But he’s making a big decision here. It’s wild [that] at his age [41], he’s playing at such a high level. But it’s not surprising.

    “I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck. He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family, and we’ll be waiting. Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”

    Mike Gansey (center), here with Sixers managing partner Josh Harris and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers, has hit the ground running in Philly.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    No matter where James lands, Gansey acknowledged he “never would have envisioned” the way his first Sixers offseason has unfolded.

    He arrived from the Cleveland Cavaliers with an understanding that Joel Embiid and Paul George, two former perennial All-Stars who have struggled to stay on the court in recent seasons, had multiple years remaining on max contracts. Gansey was not “actively trying” to trade either player, he said.

    After drafting Philon, the Alabama guard who unexpectedly fell to the Sixers at No. 22, Dean Wade was Gansey’s top free agency target as a complementary, defense-minded starting forward. The Sixers also hoped to add depth, shooting, and more quickness and athleticism.

    But after two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat instead of the Boston Celtics — and Boston’s offered return package anchored by Brown became public knowledge — Gansey leaned on a tactic he learned from Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman and owner Dan Gilbert.

    Make the call.

    “It’s kind of like, ‘Let’s check in with Boston and see if there’s anything there,’” Gansey said. “Maybe there isn’t. But you just make that call, and they don’t say no. … It just kept going on, and they would call us, we would call them.

    “You just keep having conversations. Next thing you know, we’re in LA [for free agency], and it was getting close and [feeling like] this might actually happen. …

    “That’s why, this business, you can plan all you want and prepare, but you just don’t know. Things happen.”

    VJ Edgecombe was ‘shocked’ by the Jaylen Brown trade, and loves the Sixers’ pursuit of LeBron James

    Gansey said Brown felt some initial “shock” that after 10 years in Boston, he had been traded to the rival Sixers. But Gansey believes Brown, who last season finished sixth in MVP voting after averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, will set the tone for the Sixers, who now have legitimate championship aspirations.

    “We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated,” Gansey said of Brown. “He’s going to be great for everyone because the young guys want that. He’s been a champion and Finals MVP. I think Joel’s in a great space, and he’s excited [to play with Brown], as well.

    “Obviously, we’ve got to see what it looks like. You can’t win a trade in July. Boston got some really good [draft] picks, and you saw Paul. He was a big reason why Philly beat Boston [in the playoffs’ first round]. You’ve got to give up a lot to get [Brown], and I think it’s a good trade for both teams.

    “Until we actually have a practice or a game, you just don’t know. You hope it’s going to work out, but it’ll take some time, I’m sure.”

    While Gansey acclimated to his new job on the fly, he credited the returning staff — including front-office executives Jameer Nelson and Prosper Karangwa and coach Nick Nurse — for “kind of [holding] it together.” Gansey reiterated that he wants to set a workplace culture in which people enjoy coming to the facility and looks forward to having deeper conversations with staffers later this summer.

    The selection of first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr. (center) was one of president of basketball operations Mike Gansey’s first big decisions. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    “It’s hard to do everything you want to do in a month,” Gansey said. “It’s going to take a year or two years just to kind of put my imprint on stuff. But I just want to build a place where my door is open. Come talk to me. I feel like I’m an open, people person. You can talk to me about anything: personal, professional, basketball stuff. …

    “I might be the boss … but I want to be like, ‘No, we’re working together. I don’t care about titles. I’m a part of this group, and I want us all to be successful.’”

    Once he departs Las Vegas — where he has regularly bumped into former Cavaliers colleagues while staying in the same team hotel — Gansey will see his four children for the first time in about a month. His family still needs to find a house in the Philly area.

    And maybe Gansey will finally get some real sleep. It would be warranted, after his first Sixers offseason unfolded in a way he never could have envisioned.

    “I just need a break,” Gansey said. “I think we all do, just because it’s been so much. … I don’t think it’s really set in.”

  • VJ Edgecombe was ‘shocked’ by the Jaylen Brown trade, and loves the Sixers’ pursuit of LeBron James

    VJ Edgecombe was ‘shocked’ by the Jaylen Brown trade, and loves the Sixers’ pursuit of LeBron James

    LAS VEGAS — VJ Edgecombe was in the middle of a spa day in his native Bahamas when he missed a call from Jameer Nelson, the 76ers’ executive vice president of basketball operations.

    Then Edgecombe missed another call. Then he saw Nelson’s text message asking to call him back as soon as possible.

    “I was like, ‘Man, it’s free agency, why [are] you calling me so much?’” Edgecombe recalled Monday morning. “I thought I was gone.”

    Nelson actually wanted to give Edgecombe a heads-up that the Sixers were about to trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, a blockbuster deal that would surface publicly about an hour later. Though Edgecombe was initially “shocked” by the move, he said he is excited to play alongside Brown at the “peak of his career.”

    Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    And what about the Sixers’ still-ongoing pursuit of LeBron James, one of Edgecombe’s basketball idols with whom he swapped jerseys after their first matchup in his rookie season?

    “I like it,” Edgecombe said with a grin while visiting the Sixers’ Summer League practice in Las Vegas. “It’s LeBron James. At the end of the day, despite how old he is, he’s still, to me, the greatest player of all time. If I get to play alongside LeBron, that would be amazing.

    “Obviously, we know the goal — if we get LeBron or not — is a championship. So if we do get him, I’m happy. If we don’t, I’m still happy.”

    Edgecombe called the trade for Brown “bittersweet” because of the quick rapport he built with the departing Paul George. Yet a reason the Sixers executed the all-in move is Edgecombe, who last season averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals while logging heavy minutes as an instant-impact rookie on both ends of the floor.

    Sixers vice president Jameer Nelson talks with guard Vj Edgecombe before Game 2 of the second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Edgecombe said he has spent his offseason working on his shooting — he went 43.8% from the floor and 35.4% on 5.6 three-point attempts per game as a rookie — and ballhandling as a lead guard in an effort to take pressure off All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey. Coach Nick Nurse added during a Saturday conversation with local reporters that he wants to see Edgecombe extend that beyond-the-arc range, and to use his dazzling athleticism to go coast-to-coast more often when he gets the ball in transition.

    “Instead of two of those a game, I’d like to see 10,” Nurse said from the team hotel in Las Vegas. “Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”

    Before this visit to Las Vegas, Edgecombe played for the Bahamian national team during FIBA World Cup qualifiers, an honor he calls “one of the best things in the world.” He now has graduated from Summer League participant to being a resource “to show love, show support” to this year’s players.

    He praised the “prolific scoring” and “underrated” defensive effort of first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr., whom Edgecombe matched up against (and went 2-0, he said) as high school prospects.

    “He’s a great fit,” Edgecombe said of Philon. “I love the pickup. Just [adds] depth to the team, [adds] depth to the guard room.”

    Justin Edwards understands ‘really important year’ is coming

    Justin Edwards also visited the Summer Sixers Monday, after playing with that squad entering his first and second NBA seasons.

    The 6-foot-7 wing recognizes he now heads into “a really important year” personally, because it is the last with guaranteed money in his contract ($2.4 million). The Philly native has a $2.6 million team option in his deal for 2027-28.

    “I don’t really want to think of it like that,” he said, “because I’m pretty sure I’m going to have pressure on myself regardless. So I just got to be able to just go into the season and do what I can do to help this team.”

    Edwards is part of the Sixers’ forward group that this offseason lost George and Kelly Oubre Jr., but added Brown and versatile defender Dean Wade. The 22-year-old Edwards was an early-career success story after going undrafted in 2024. While getting heavy minutes as a rookie during the Sixers’ disastrous 2024-25 season, he turned his initial two-way contract into a standard deal.

    Though Nurse regularly reiterated some version of “I love Justin” last season, he was not an entrenched rotation player. He averaged 6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 64 games, with a knack for shot-making early in his stints off the bench. He also is a sound decision-maker and a willing perimeter defender.

  • Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    LAS VEGAS — Nick Nurse’s view entering the 76ers’ offseason was similar to the outside consensus — that his team did not have much financial “wiggle room” with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George all on max contracts.

    Then the Sixers pulled off the stunning blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown. They surrounded that big swing with complementary moves, adding Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Ariel Hukporti in free agency and drafting Labaron Philon Jr. The Sixers are now among the threats in a deep Eastern Conference.

    “Sitting here right now,” Nurse told a small group of reporters from a Las Vegas hotel Saturday, “I think, obviously, we’ve had a really good summer so far. … It was some good teamwork, some good maneuvers.

    Dominick Barlow is back in Las Vegas, as a success story for the summer Sixers

    “I’d like to think we got better at several positions: younger, faster, depth, shooting, rebounding. There [were] a lot of areas to address, and I think we addressed some of them.”

    One giant potential free-agency domino could still fall, of course, if all-timer LeBron James chooses to sign with the Sixers. Nurse did not comment on that possibility, since he does not hold the front office’s role in recruitment and negotiation. Bob Myers, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s president, already made his pitch as a guest on Game Over podcast hosted by James’ agent, Rich Paul.

    Nurse, though, lauded the early collaboration with new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, saying he could “feel a good organizational blueprint” entering the offseason. The coach has long been impressed by Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, his year-by-year improvement, and his winning resume as an NBA champion and Finals MVP.

    “He’s sitting in his prime,” Nurse said of Brown. “It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”

    Now Brown joins the dynamic backcourt of Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, along with the 2023 MVP (though oft-injured) Embiid. The goal is for this configuration of top-end talent to be healthy enough to gain consistency — Embiid, Maxey, and George played only 36 games together in two seasons — while building enough depth “to have some more gas in the tank to make a longer [postseason] run.”

    Jaylen Brown (right) will join the Sixers’ dynamic backcourt, including leading scorer Tyrese Maxey.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    After a thrilling comeback to upset the Boston Celtics in the first round, the Sixers were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. Nurse acknowledged he “pushed all the chips in [for] Game 2 in New York,” and that it was difficult to rebound after they lost that down-to-the-wire matchup.

    “It’s a hell of a lot longer tournament than one round,” said Nurse, who won the 2019 NBA title with the Toronto Raptors. “ … We were tired as hell Game 1 [in New York]. We were spinning from that. They were on a heater of beyond proportions, and it was like, ‘We’ve got to knock them off this heater,’ and Game 2 was our chance to do it.

    “Unfortunately, we didn’t make enough shots in the fourth quarter, because they were wide open. … The gas tank was pretty low. We just need some more depth. We need a little bit more experience. We need to not be totally drained out of that after one round.”

    Labaron Philon Jr. shines in Sixers’ first summer league game: ‘He’s a gamer’

    Here are three more takeaways from the wide-ranging offseason conversation with Nurse.

    Other newcomers

    Nurse reiterated that he would not hesitate to immediately insert Philon into the rotation, a belief rewarded by the crafty guard’s terrific start to Summer League play. He totaled 24 points and six assists in the Sixers’ overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon at Cox Pavilion, after compiling 18 points and seven assists in Thursday’s opening win over the Detroit Pistons.

    “I just feel like he’s talented enough,” Nurse said. “I think we liked him enough as a staff. … I think he’s going this direction [up] quickly. I think he’s got some confidence to him that I don’t think he’ll be afraid. I think he’ll make the most of the opportunity.”

    Nick Nurse said that he believes first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. will “make the most of the opportunity.” Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Nurse offered similar (and warranted) trust in Edgecombe to become a Day 1 starter last season, and in then-rookie Jared McCain to instantly contribute before his 2024 knee surgery.

    Wade, meanwhile, is what Nurse called an “opportunity scorer” and, more importantly, a rebounder and versatile defender at 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds. Hukporti’s addition means a competition with Adem Bona for the backup center job — which becomes a starting role when Embiid is sidelined — is “all in play, as of now,” Nurse said. The coach also believes Simons, in addition to his high-volume shooting, can handle the ball and play in the pick and roll.

    “We may be a touch small at times [or] whatever,” Nurse said of the guard group. “But I’ll certainly take the speed and athleticism. Then it’s just up to our staff to put them in the right spot.”

    New Sixer Jaylen Brown is ‘going to push’ Joel Embiid, Mike Gansey says in local radio hit

    Next steps for Maxey and Edgecombe

    Though Brown has become the Sixers’ flashy offseason addition, much of their present and future will be fueled by Maxey, an All-NBA third-team selection last season, and Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific NBA Rookie of the Year ballot.

    When asked where Edgecombe can most develop in his second NBA season, Nurse highlighted extending his three-point range — he connected on 35.4% of his 5.6 attempts, but had a knack for crunch-time makes — to provide more spacing for teammates. Nurse also wants to see Edgecombe progress toward becoming a lockdown perimeter defender, and to go coast-to-coast more frequently when he gets the ball in transition.

    “Instead of two of those a game,” Nurse said, “I’d like to see 10. Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”

    Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe grew into a dynamic backcourt for the Sixers last season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    For Maxey, Nurse again emphasized the midrange game between his explosive drives to the basket and deep three-pointers.

    “He’s got that in his game,” Nurse said of Maxey, who ranked fifth in the league in scoring last season (28.3 points per game). “He’s just so good at the other stuff [that] he doesn’t hardly ever get put in those positions. But I think it’s an area of growth for him.”

    Optimism for Embiid?

    At Embiid’s end-of-season news conference, he expressed optimism that the Sixers’ medical and training staff had “figured out” how to manage his knee following multiple surgeries. He expects that will make him more available after logging 96 total games the past three seasons. Last month, Myers reiterated that Embiid had no procedures scheduled, allowing him to spend more time on basketball work.

    Hayes: LeBron James signing with the Sixers could save Joel Embiid’s career

    When Nurse was asked Saturday if he shared Embiid’s optimism that the big man will be able to play more in 2026-27, Nurse said, “I do” but did not elaborate much further.

    “I think that he’s feeling pretty good,” Nurse said. “I think he’s working pretty hard right now. So I do think I share his optimism.”

  • Jaylen Brown boxes strangers in Morocco and gets help pitching LeBron James while at the World Cup

    Jaylen Brown boxes strangers in Morocco and gets help pitching LeBron James while at the World Cup

    It’s been a busy summer for new Sixer Jaylen Brown — and not just because he was part of one of the NBA offseason’s biggest moves.

    Brown also boxed on the streets of Morocco and attended the World Cup in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, where he enlisted the help of YouTube star IShowSpeed to recruit free agent superstar LeBron James to Philly.

    Earlier this summer, Brown traveled to Morocco with former Celtics teammate Tacko Fall and on Thursday posted a video on YouTube documenting their time experiencing the nation’s food, animals, and culture. Brown held a snake around his neck and a monkey on his shoulder, played drums with a group of men, and handed out free smoothies.

    However, the most viral moment came when Brown took part in a friendly boxing session. A crowd quickly formed as Brown squared off in the street with a local, and cheers erupted as the NBA star showed off his skills.

    It’s unclear whether the impromptu boxing match came before or after Brown was traded to the Sixers on July 1, but it appears Brown was in Morocco for the recent PLYRS UNTD Africa Experience.

    During a livestream from inside the Boston Stadium (aka Gillette Stadium) during Morocco’s FIFA World Cup quarterfinal vs. France, Brown enlisted the help of internet personality IShowSpeed, an Ohio native whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., to send a message to James.

    “You gotta tell LeBron he’s gotta pull up, man. Pull up to Philly,” Brown said in the livestream.

    Watkins happily looked into the camera and told James, who reportedly has the Sixers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat among his top three teams, to join Brown and “PG13” in Philly. The only problem: Paul George isn’t on the team anymore.

    Brown corrected him that George had been traded to the Celtics in the deal that sent Brown to the Sixers. The exchange quickly spread on social media with fans poking fun at the streamer for not realizing George had been traded.

    Brown also seemed frustrated about the trade during the livestream.

    “It’s a crazy business, bro,” he said. “Don’t become a basketball player. There’s no loyalty, there’s no love. … They packed me up, sayonara chat, I’m out of here.”

    Brown hasn’t played a game for Philadelphia yet, but he’s certainly giving fans plenty to talk about.

  • The Sixers’ title hopes still hinge on Joel Embiid. Mike Gansey admitted as much.

    The Sixers’ title hopes still hinge on Joel Embiid. Mike Gansey admitted as much.

    With all due respect to LeBron James, the Sixers’ greatest and most impactful unknown is the same as it has always been.

    Mike Gansey acknowledged as much on Thursday.

    “Obviously,” the Sixers new president of basketball operations said in a courtside interview during ESPN’s broadcast of the team’s summer league opener, “the big fella is the X-factor.”

    It speaks to the magnitude of Joel Embiid that such a sentiment can be qualified as obvious. Nothing about the Sixers over the last two months has been obvious. From the firing of Daryl Morey to the hiring of Gansey as his replacement to the dramatic trade of Paul George and a couple of first- and second-round picks to the Celtics for some guy named Jaylen Brown to the front office’s attempt to woo James, the Sixers are in the midst of an overhaul more radical than any Embiid has seen in his decade with the team.

    For maybe the first summer of his career, everyone’s focus is elsewhere. Yet, everyone is fooling themselves if they think they can talk about the Sixers as a legitimate contender without factoring the big fella into the equation.

    Jaylen Brown is ‘going to push’ Joel Embiid, Mike Gansey says in local radio hit

    The exact nature of the question has changed. There’s no doubt about that. It is no longer, “How far can Embiid carry the Sixers?” In Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, they have young guards who carried them to a Game 2 playoff win over Brown and the Celtics without Embiid. In Brown, they have a player who was overwhelmingly responsible for Boston’s win over the Sixers in Game 1 of the same series. That trio is talented enough to pencil in the Sixers for a playoff spot and, potentially, a top-four seed even if Embiid were not to play a game. At no point prior in the Embiid era have we been able to say such a thing.

    That’s more than a good thing. It’s the reason that a jaded city can now deconstruct its emotional walls and allow itself to invest time and energy in the Sixers again. The potential outcomes are no longer as divergent as “championship contention” or “No. 3 overall draft pick.” The exhaustion that people feel with regard to Embiid is in large part a function of his inordinate importance over the years. With him, the Sixers could beat anybody. Without him, there was little point in watching.

    So, yeah, the question has changed. But it is still the one that matters most when it comes to handicapping the Sixers’ 2026-27 title odds.

    What do they expect out of Embiid?

    What will they get?

    The first part is more interesting. The organization’s public rhetoric regarding their big man has shifted since the change in regimes.

    For Morey, Embiid was something like a mission statement: any time the former president spoke publicly about his team, his comments were centered around the center. He took the job in 2020 with the idea that Embiid was the exact sort of front line, once-in-a-generation superstar that teams need to win a title. The goal was to get him whatever help he needed. Morey professed that belief to (virtually) the bitter end.

    Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey says Joel Embiid was excited about the Jaylen Brown trade.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Gansey and ownership proxy Bob Myers have been far less committed in their public sentiments about Embiid. In his introductory press conference a month ago, Gansey avoided talking with much specificity about the big man beyond including him in the framing of the Sixers’ existing roster structure as a “Big Four.”

    “They’re our four guys, they’re under contract. We got to do the best to get them to their best self,” Gansey said on his first day on the job, “because I think every night at 7 p.m., we got to get them to their best to help us win.”

    Barely a month later, George was en route to Boston and the Sixers “Big Four” was now a “Big Three.”

    Brad Stevens says he would rather have not traded Jaylen Brown to Philly, but the Celtics did what they had to do

    Perhaps it is notable, then, that Gansey now feels comfortable speaking of Embiid in such terms as the ones he deployed in his ESPN interview on Thursday.

    “Joel’s in a good space,” Gansey said. “He’s finally healthy going into the offseason. He’s excited about this summer. He’s getting to work here shortly. He expects to have a good year, as we all do.”

    Embiid has been conspicuously silent since the Brown trade. His lone Twitter post in the wake of the deal was about the Tour de France. In an interview with the Sixers’ flagship radio station on Thursday, Gansey said that Embiid was excited and “fired up” when Gansey informed him of the trade.

    Whatever the case, the Sixers are well past the point of factoring Embiid’s feelings into their actions. The Brown trade was as much about the Sixers’ ability to compete without him as with him. At the same time, the only way they contend for a title this season is with him.

    VJ Edgecombe (left), Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey celebrate after winning Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in May.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    April’s playoff series against the Celtics offers a tidy encapsulation of where the Sixers are. As dominant as Brown was during various stretches, Boston still lost. As impressive as Maxey and Edgecombe were at times, the Sixers still needed to win a Game 7 against the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics just to earn the right of getting blown out of the playoffs by the Knicks. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla offered the definitive sound byte after the Sixers finished off their series comeback.

    “What changed in this series was Joel Embiid came back and they’re a completely different team,” Mazzulla said.

    Embiid missed Game 2 of the next series. The Sixers were outscored by 57 points in the 88 minutes he played against the Knicks. Somewhere on that continuum, their immediate hopes lie.

  • New Sixer Jaylen Brown is ‘going to push’ Joel Embiid, Mike Gansey says in local radio hit

    New Sixer Jaylen Brown is ‘going to push’ Joel Embiid, Mike Gansey says in local radio hit

    Mike Gansey has had a busy start in Philadelphia. On June 8, the former general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers was introduced as the 76ers’ new president of basketball operations.

    In under a month, he helped orchestrate the trade that brought Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia from the Celtics in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.

    On Thursday, Gansey appeared on Unfiltered with Ricky Bottalico and Bill Colarulo on 97.5 The Fanatic to discuss his tenure so far.

    Sixers Gameday Central: Jaylen Brown trade, LeBron James courtship and more

    Bottalico and Colarulo wasted no time bringing up the details of the trade, which Gansey revealed “came out of nowhere a little bit.”

    “We’re talking to Boston, and Jaylen [Brown], obviously he was out there in the media, and as every team does they make a call and see if he’s available and just kept talking to Boston for a couple weeks and didn’t know if anything would really happen,” Gansey said. “Next thing you know, they wanted to do a deal and that’s kind of how it happened.”

    As trade talks progressed, it was clear George was going to play a key role in it, though Gansey said in his introductory presser that the team was fully prepared to have the 36-year-old as part of it next season.

    And most experts have agreed the Sixers got the better end of a deal that Gansey said the front office is excited about.

    Paul George and Jaylen Brown are swapping jerseys next season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    “Obviously, we haven’t played a game yet so I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but Jaylen’s been one of the top players in the league, one of the best two-way players. He’s coming off a career year,” Gansey said. “So when those guys come available, you at least try to make a call and try to get in there.”

    Now, playing for what once was his rival team, Gansey said there’s still a little bit of confusion for Brown as he tries to adjust.

    Philly traded one Brown for another: Jaylen Brown reveals he and former Eagle A.J. Brown are ‘cousins’

    Among the adjustments Brown has to make is playing with Joel Embiid, who Brown publicly criticized for flopping on a Twitch stream following Game 7 of the Sixers-Celtics first-round series.

    But since then, Gansey said he believes Brown has spoken to Sixers ownership and head coach Nick Nurse, and is excited to play with Embiid.

    “He is like, ‘I am going to get in the gym with Joel here soon. I am going to push him. I am going to get him right,’” Gansey said. “He is going to bring some championship habits, attitude, and toughness to us that I know the city of Philly loves. It is like music to my ears listening to him and talking to him and he’s really fired up for the season to come up.”

    Jaylen Brown (left) has expressed that he is excited to be teammates with Joel Embiid.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Gansey said he also spoke to Embiid following the trade.

    Entering the offseason healthy, Gansey said Embiid is in a “really good space right now” as he begins to ramp up his training in the weight room ahead of the upcoming season.

    “He’s excited. You know, surprised but excited as VJ [Edgecombe] and Tyrese [Maxey] and the rest of the group has been,” Gansey said. “It’s obviously going to be a big change but I think they’re welcoming it and they’re kind of excited to get the group together.”

    The Sixers are still in the race to add another potential key to their roster, NBA superstar LeBron James. And Gansey said with a player like him, who he called “the greatest player to play the game,” moving at James’ pace is something teams are always going to be OK with.

    Bob Myers pitches Sixers to LeBron James’ agent as they reportedly remain among NBA star’s top three teams

    “I’ve known LeBron for a long time, and have a ton of respect for him, and obviously I think he’d be a great fit for our group, and of course we’d love to have him, but you know he’s a basketball savant,” Gansey said. “I’m sure he’s taking this all in, and he’s super smart, and now he’s trying to figure it all out.”

    And while he might still be adjusting to being a Sixer, that didn’t stop Brown from offering a few words to James on another livestream.

    Appearing on a stream with influencer IShowSpeed during the France-Morocco World Cup Game, Brown encouraged James to “pull up to Philly.”

    Even without landing James, Gansey said he already spoke to Nurse, whose “head is spinning in a positive way” as they figure out how to approach the season with all the star power currently on the roster.

    “We have an open roster spot, so we’re obviously looking at ways we can get better. Obviously, we’re holding that roster spot right now for someone,” Gansey said. “Depending on how that goes, we’re going to continue to look at ways to get better and improve our team.”

  • Sixers Gameday Central: Jaylen Brown trade, LeBron James courtship and more

    Sixers Gameday Central: Jaylen Brown trade, LeBron James courtship and more

    The 76ers are in an enviable position less than two weeks after the open of NBA free agency. They entered the summer hampered by the contracts of Joel Embiid and Paul George and few options other than to run it back with a team that finished seventh in the East and lost to the eventual champion New York Knicks.

    The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell and David Murphy talked about the recent moves that changed the Sixers’ fortunes, including the trade of Jaylen Brown, courtship of LeBron James and more.

    This was edited for clarity and conciseness.

    Gina Mizell: Let’s just start with this… How would you describe this offseason overall for the Sixers? It’s still lots that potentially could happen, which we’ll get to in a little bit, but just overall, what’s your impression of what president of basketball operations Mike Gansey and the Sixers have done so far this offseason?

    David Murphy: I’m kind of at a loss for words. I mean, you could describe the Jaylen Brown trade with just, ‘Wow,’ you could go with ‘unforeseen.’ I don’t think anybody really saw this coming. Over the course of the offseason, I’ve been listening to just about every hoops podcast, national podcast, you could possibly think of, and absolutely nobody had this in the cards for the Sixers. And I think that the biggest surprise to me was that that Paul George’s contract was something that the Celtics actually viewed as something that was stomachable or palatable. I watched Brad Stevens’ press conference the other day, and I was surprised that it sounds like they wanted Paul George. This wasn’t necessarily a salary dump, so I think that was kind of the keystone that allowed all this to happen.

    But from the Sixers perspective, I think it was a no-brainer. You don’t lose much in terms of financial flexibility. Jaylen Brown was signed for one more year than Paul George, and the Sixers have gone from kind of rebuilding and two timelines to another three-year window here, where they’re going for it. You can’t help but be excited whether you’re a fan or someone like us who covers the team.

    I was at the park with my 15-month-old son, Max, and it was, I think, 5:30 p.m. We were killing time before dinner, and I just got a text from a buddy of mine, because we have been group chatting about NBA stuff for four weeks. We had each kind of wagered our bets on where Jaylen Brown would end up, and the text message I got just said, “Wow, didn’t see that coming.”

    Where were you when it happened, and what was your initial reaction when that came across your phone or your computer or wherever you saw the news,

    GM: I was at home, and what I always share with our fellow NBA reporter friends is that my mom’s birthday is July 1, so it’s actually a miracle that she has not disowned me, given that July 1 is always a busy day in the NBA calendar because it’s the opening day of free agency. But I had called her finally, maybe like about 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon, Eastern time, because the Sixers had a lot of things that happened. Kelly Oubre had moved on, Quentin Grimes had moved on, they had signed Ariel Hukporti, and it kind of reached this point in time where I’m like, ‘OK, I think I can get this like 15-minute phone call in and catch up and do all that stuff.

    Jaylen Brown has shared that he’s excited to join the Sixers and get started in Philly.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    At that point I wasn’t really expecting anything else to happen that day, and then the news pops about an hour later. And when it came across my phone, I literally said many expletives out loud, loud enough that my apartment neighbors maybe could have heard, because I just could not believe it. And so, no, it was just crazy when it all went down.

    But now that we’ve had a chance to sort of marinate on this deal — it’s a few days old — has anything changed about sort of what you wrote in that initial column, as far as the fit financially, as far as building that championship window, like you mentioned, just kind of now that you’ve sort of sat with it? Any new thoughts, any additional thoughts, any deeper thoughts about how this is all going to work out now, adding Jaylen Brown to this group?

    DM: Not really from the Sixers perspective. I’ve actually spent most of my time, but I’m in the process right now of writing for tomorrow, the end result of that. Just kind of trying to answer the question, ‘What were the Celtics thinking?’ That was my first reaction along with just about everybody else in the world. My reaction first and foremost was, ‘Wow, like that’s all? That’s all they got for Jaylen Brown? And I think my thinking on that, more than anything, has changed a little bit. I’m still surprised that you know, look, people want to rip the Celtics, but this is, first and foremost, a story of 28 other teams that did not beat the Sixers offer. So you can absolutely blame the Celtics for trading Brown, if that was the best offer on the table, the fact is that was the best offer on the table, and that’s something to think about.

    I think that, you know, one of the key points that, and I believe this before the trade, I think people are underestimating how valuable that Clippers pick is that the Sixers traded to the Celtics. And I think Stevens kind of hinted at that [Monday] in his press conference. Somebody asked him why Philly, and his response was essentially that this was the best move for the future of the franchise and the assets that we could get. I agree with him 100 percent. You know, I talked to somebody in the Sixers orbit during the season. I was shooting the bull and asking about the new lottery odds, and they said to me that Clippers pick is going to get a lot more valuable with these new odds, and I think you know that’s something that people really need to understand.

    GM: The contracts of Paul George for Jaylen Brown are very similar but Brown does have one more year on his current deal, and he is extension eligible on July 26. So the Sixers roster is already very top heavy and is going to continue to be top heavy when you look at Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, obviously still on his big deal, and then potentially coming up if VJ Edgecombe is going to get a payday in a few years. But I think you’re exactly right about that Clippers pick, because you look at what they’ve been and who they are now in the last six months or so with trading James Harden, trading Ivica Zubac, obviously trading Kawhi Leonard right before free agency opened. And that is a team that you would expect that pick to be very valuable.

    LeBron James signing with the Sixers could save Joel Embiid’s career

    But just adding Brown to this mix coming off of the best individual season of his career, sixth in MVP voting, really carried that Celtics team that a lot of people thought would take a gap year with Jayson Tatum out with the Achilles injury, and now adding him to this group. Who is he going to enhance the most? Who does his game, when you look at Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid when healthy, VJ Edgecombe, some of these other complementary players, who do you think Jaylen Brown is most going to enhance? Where is he most going to make this team even better, in addition to what he does individually on the floor?

    DM: A few years from now, Payton Pritchard, and that’s really the second apron. This is really a story of the second apron doing what it was intended to do, and it was intended to spread superstar talent, and it’s doing that, so I think that more than anything, from the Celtics perspective. I actually think they made a very tough decision but I admire them for that. I think when you really look at, when you really look at the nuts and bolts of it, this move will leave them better off for the long haul, and maybe even the short and medium term.

    I think it’s kind of a package thing. He’s going to make the pairing of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe workable. Edgecombe and Maxey, in the future, and you know, building around them. Anytime I talked about Edgecomb and Maxey in the future, and building around them, you almost have to put Joel Embiid out of it. I’m not convinced at this point that he’s even 100% going to be here next year. It wouldn’t stun me. He’s been conspicuously silent on social media ever since this trade went down. I’m not predicting that. I think it’s more of a possibility now than it was before, you know, especially seeing what we just saw. I’m not ruling anything out, is what it comes down to.

    HSBE president of sports Bob Myers hired Mike Gansey, Daryl Morey’s replacement. Can he also help bring LeBron to Philly?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer / AP

    So, I think you almost have to put him to the side, regardless of whether he’s here or not, you know, Mike Gansey’s number one priority was to build, start building a team that can win with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe as their backcourt, and that was going to take, it was absolutely going to take two big wings, and ideally one of them being a guy who could could score, who could slash, who could play some bully ball, who could give them an element that, at least at this point, you know, Maxey probably will never have in terms of strength, and VJ, I think, could but just isn’t there yet.

    GM: You wrote yesterday or the day before, just about the basketball fit for LeBron, and how and why the Sixers make a ton of sense. Not to make you regurgitate what you wrote on the Inquirer, but just what are sort of the reasons why, based on everything that you just said, that just adding a guy like LeBron, who obviously is not the perennial MVP contender that he once was, but is still really, really, really good, and would that be the type of piece that would put the Sixers over the top?

    DM: Someone made an argument to me that I now buy… I think the Timberwolves are probably the best basketball fit for them, for him, you know, and I think that he would probably have better title hopes with them as well, just because of the presence of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels on the defensive end. But I think the Sixers are right there with the Timberwolves in terms of pure basketball fit. I think, again, Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo are clunky as it is [with the Heat]. LeBron could maybe help alleviate some of that, but at the same time that’s an interesting threesome to have out there on the court, and it certainly has a chance to not be an enjoyable basketball playing experience for LeBron. And I think he’d say the same thing about, you know, Cleveland, assuming Harden comes back. No disrespect to James Harden, but I wouldn’t want to spend the last year of my career watching him dribble around a basketball court.

    I personally think if I was LeBron I would opt for the Warriors and the Nuggets, just because I think playing alongside Nikola Jokić or Steph Curry would be a heck of a lot of fun, and just kind of a neat way to see what happens for the last year of my career. LeBron will fit anywhere, is what it comes down to. If you plug him in at the three or the four for the Sixers, whatever you want to consider, with Jaylen Brown, I think they’ve got as good a chance as anybody.

  • Philly traded one Brown for another: Jaylen Brown reveals he and former Eagle A.J. Brown are ‘cousins’

    Philly traded one Brown for another: Jaylen Brown reveals he and former Eagle A.J. Brown are ‘cousins’

    Think of a star player who was involved in a highly publicized trade between Philly and Boston.

    If you’re thinking about a member of the Brown family, you’re correct.

    Jaylen Brown, who was traded to the Sixers from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George and draft picks last Wednesday, and A.J. Brown, who was traded from the Eagles to the New England Patriots for draft picks on June 1, have a lot more in common than their trade similarities and last name — or rather, their family name.

    Jaylen revealed on Tuesday that the two are connected through their respective grandfathers who are brothers, making them second cousins.

    Jaylen Brown excited for ‘new chapter in Philly’ as his trade to Sixers becomes official

    “I didn’t know that, my grandpa just told me,” Jaylen said in the clip. “I don’t think [A.J.] knows that, either.”

    But if A.J. didn’t know before, he does now. He responded on Instagram by posting a clip from the movie Poetic Justice on his story with the caption “Big Cuz hit me!”

    While Jaylen grew up in Marietta, Ga., A.J. grew up in Starkville, Miss., about 300 miles away. But despite their different upbringings, there are still a few things that clearly run in the family, starting with their elite athleticism.

    Everything we learned from Jaylen Brown’s first stream since being traded to the Sixers

    They also went back-to-back in winning their championships, with Jaylen winning an NBA championship in the 2023-24 season with the Celtics and A.J. following with a Super Bowl win in the 2024-25 season.

    Fans also pointed out that the colors surrounding the teams involved in each trade is similar with both Jaylen and A.J. originally wearing green and white before going to a team with a red, white, and blue colorway.

    Jaylen shared the details of the Brown family tree during an event at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his 7uice Foundation, which focuses on bridging the gap for opportunities for underserved youth.

    Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey proclaimed that July 7 will now be known as 7uice Foundation day in the state going forward.

    During the same event, Jaylen met with a young Celtics fan who went viral for his reaction following his trade to Philly.

    Known on social media as “Gio the Tiger,” the young fan went viral after video showed him crying over the trade with his Celtics jersey on and what read “Filla” written over the Boston team’s name. The text on the video said that the 6-year-old was experiencing his “first heartbreak” after learning the news of his favorite player’s trade.

    After Jaylen commented on the original post reminding Gio they’d “always be friends,” the duo connected in person where he was also able to deliver a hand-written note to Jaylen and interview him as well.

    At least now, Gio will have another Brown to root for in New England.