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Weeks after firing former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, the face of the NBA analytics movement, the Philadelphia 76ers did the funniest thing possible: The team traded for anti-analytics star Jaylen Brown.
On Wednesday night, ESPN reported a stunning blockbuster that saw the Sixers — now led by new top exec Mike Gansey — trade Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and 2031) and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030) for Brown, a former Finals MVP who reportedly was floated by Boston in a failed Giannis Antetokounmpo deal. Instead, the Celtics landed a 36-year-old George and draft capital.
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For those who believe the Celtics should have gotten more in the trade, it’s a mind-blowing turn of events, lending credence to the notion that Brown’s value around the league had declined. This postseason, the 76ers finally beat the rival Celtics in the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and then traded for Boston’s top scorer in that series, Brown.
In recent days, Brown was embroiled in a social media war against the analytics community, sparking widespread debate about his value on the open market. Now, Brown will try to prove the doubters wrong, and what better place to do that than with a franchise that hasn’t made it to the conference finals in 25 years? But before we dig deeper into the trade, let’s take a step back.
Jaylen Brown will now star in Philly. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
(Patrick McDermott via Getty Images)
The Jaylen Brown debate
Pop quiz: Who was the best player in the NBA from 2011-12 to 2020-21?
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For a mental landmark, this is the decade that spanned Kyrie Irving’s first 10 years in the league. Beginning with LeBron James’ first title in Miami and ending with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s title in Milwaukee.
OK, done thinking? You’re probably going with LeBron. He won three MVPs and four titles in this span. I’d probably go with that, too. I’d also accept Stephen Curry, whose 3-point shot revolutionized the league and helped the Golden State Warriors win three championships in that decade of hoops.
I’d be fine with either of those two answers. They…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/did-the-celtics-give-away-jaylen-brown-why-analytics-dont-see-phillys-new-star-as-elite-of-elite-004011270.html
Author : Tom Haberstroh
Publish date : 2026-07-02 00:40:00
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