What the Jaylen Brown Trade Says About the Joel Embiid Era in Philadelphia

It was the first statement anyone with the Sixers had made on the record since the blockbuster deal that sent Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft capital five days ago.

"He knows what it takes to win at the highest levels and I can't wait to see him alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecombe," Managing Partner Josh Harris said in the team's press release announcing the trade on Monday afternoon.

You could argue there is significance to an otherwise generic statement.

While holding a Twitch stream on Thursday evening to discuss the shocking transaction, Brown called Maxey and Edgecombe on the phone. No such call was made to Embiid.

While neither organization could make official comments on the deal until it was minted by the league office on Monday, Maxey offered a generalized reaction that could apply to any transaction in the league. "The nba is doing that THING AGAIN!," Maxey tweeted some 40 minutes after Shams Charania broke news of the deal.

Several Sixers have shared social media posts stating the news of the deal, acknowledging the trade but not commenting on it.

Embiid has yet to offer a reaction of any sort, something that many people have deemed worthy of attention.

So perhaps Harris mentioning Embiid in his statement is worth noting, a nod that the big man is still a critical part of this thing.

Embiid is part of the core in Philadelphia as long as he wears the jersey.

But this type of move is an acknowledgement that the new bosses weren't compelled to roll the dice on his or George's durabilities.

Brown, who will turn 30 right around the start of the 2026-27 season, is coming off an All-NBA campaign for which he finished sixth in MVP voting. He is in the middle of his prime, while George is several years beyond his.

In terms of NBA finances, this trade is essentially a swapping of salaries. There's no question Brown is currently the better player in the trade. But this deal, you might argue, serves as the Sixers acknowledging that they need a player with more in the tank than George has if they're going to continue on with Embiid as a pillar of the roster.

In other words, paying George to be a compliment on a team that also rosters Embiid and his shaky availability won't do. If you're going to carry that money, that player needs to be an engine. They need to share the weight with Maxey, not be a decisive second-in-command.

Bob Myers' Golden State Warriors squeezed out one championship post Kevin Durant. But those Warriors, now three years after Myers' departure, have largely been a sinking ship ever since because Myers' front office whiffed on a two-timeline approach to team-building.

The Warriors selected James Wiseman over LaMelo Ball and others with the second overall pick in 2020. They opted for Jonathan Kuminga over Franz Wagner with the seventh overall pick, and Moses Moody over Alperen Sengun, Tre Murphy III and Jalen Johnson with the 14th overall pick, a year later.

They've been running away from father time ever since.

Myers is not the lead executive with these Sixers.

But his choice for the job has managed to maneuver the two-timeline concept with one fell swoop.

The acquisition of Brown fundamentally cannot be a move that supports Embiid, alone. Just look at where their shots came from last season.

Embiid's shot profile	Rim	Short mid	Long mid	Threes
% of FG attempts	27%	25%	28%	20%

Brown's shot profile	Rim	Short mid	Long mid	Threes
% of FG attempts	25%	28%	23%	23%

The distribution of shot diet, as captured by Cleaning The Glass (CTG), shows significant overlap in skill sets. They may play completely different positions on the court, but Embiid and Brown are both outside-in offensive hubs.

Both can accurately be described as capable playmakers relative to the standards set by their respective positions in the lineup, but neither are remarkably efficient playmakers.

It would be one thing if one was a remarkable 3-point shooter, introducing a productive dynamic in which they could take turns spacing off the other. But that will be a growing pain as they find their fits together. If they ever do.

There will be awkward possessions in which they get in each other's ways as they navigate spaces to get to the foul line or elbows in search of shots in the mid-range.

There will be games in which one shoots terribly as they try to accommodate each other by launching from 3-point range.

But at the end of the day, there is an insurance policy for Embiid. He has a teammate with legitimate forward size with tremendous athletic pop and the skill and motor to contribute 25 points every single night in a playoff series. Maybe the fit together takes some time to develop. Maybe it never does. But the fits separately will be fine.

Maxey is a lynchpin of that fit, and that's why there's a second timeline.

That there is a legitimate co-star for the games Embiid is unavailable will give Philadelphia a chance to win every single night.

Brown's ascent to a high-usage first option last season coincides with one of Mike Gansey's goals heading into the offseason.

"We didn't want to take a guard that can only play one position," Gansey said on draft night after Philadelphia selected Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick.

"Especially with Maxey, like, getting him off the ball more I think is important and coach has mentioned that as well."

The additions of Philon and Anfernee Simons will help that. But Brown having the skills to credibly commandeer possesions will also give Philadelphia opportunities to leverage Maxey's shooting and motion off the ball.

You can build shooting prowess in your roster by adding the talent externally. Or you can find ways to leverage the shooting you already have, adding talent that compliments shooting well.

Brown is not a sniper, himself, but the natural force with which he plays and the pressure he puts on the rim will create easier shots on the perimeter for Maxey.

There will be times when that fails. The newest Sixer is far from an infallible playmaker. Maxey is going to have off shooting nights.

And when it fails, they have the positional fit to force mismatches in non-traditional ball screens. If defenses are switching, a simple pick will get Brown matched up with a smaller player and Maxey matched up with someone he may be able to beat in a foot race to the basket.

Brown is far from a perfect fit. His next contract extension will be a topic of conversation sooner rather than later.

But, for now, he's the hinge of two timelines in Philadelphia.

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