Labaron Philon’s first-year outlook in Philadelphia changed fast.
When the 76ers took him in the first round, the fit looked pretty clean. The roster needed another guard, and beyond Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, there wasn’t much proven on-ball creation. After the way that need showed up in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks, Philon seemed to have a straight line to real rookie minutes.
That picture is a lot fuzzier now.
On Wednesday, the 76ers landed former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics, a move that sent shockwaves through the league. Brown is expected to slot in at the three alongside Maxey and Edgecombe, while also handling plenty of the ball himself.
Philadelphia kept going after that.
On Thursday, the Sixers reached a two-year, $13.5 million deal with free agent guard Anfernee Simons, who is projected to be the top guard off the bench next season.
Those additions don’t erase Philon from the picture, but they do change the terms. What once looked like a path to heavy early responsibility now looks more like a chance to grow without the pressure of being thrown into the fire. Any production Philadelphia gets from a rookie Philon now feels like a bonus.
That may actually be the best setup for him.
The Sixers clearly don’t need to force him into a huge role right away, which means they can let his game develop on a slower track instead of rushing him just to fill minutes. Philon should still be part of the rotation, but the expectations won’t be nearly as heavy as they seemed at first.
There’s also reason to believe he can handle that kind of environment. At Alabama, he spent his freshman season playing with Mark Sears, Aden Holloway, and Chris Youngblood, so he already knows what it’s like to share the floor with other high-level guards. He also learned how to operate away from the ball, and his improved three-point shooting should make that transition easier in the NBA.
At the same time, he won’t be stuck watching from the sideline. Philon should still get chances with the ball as a bench spark - the aggressive rookie who pushes pace and bothers opposing second units.
And with the Sixers now coming off a 7-seed finish in the Eastern Conference and looking like a much stronger team after the Brown move, Philon could end up spending his rookie year on a club with real hopes of going toe-to-toe with the Knicks.
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