Jaylen Brown’s arrival in Philadelphia didn’t just change the 76ers’ lineup. It changed the entire shape of their offseason.
The plan heading into the 2026 summer was much more modest. Philadelphia was prepared to bring the group back with only a few adjustments, a path that would have made sense if V.J.
Edgecombe kept growing under Paul George’s guidance. Instead, the front office swung big.
It started with the trade for Brown, and that move opened the door to the rest of the summer, including the low-value signing of LeBron James and several other additions.
That kind of pull is exactly what Derek Fisher says stars like Brown can create. The five-time NBA champion pointed to the effect Brown had on veteran players looking for a real shot at winning.
"I don't think he would have gone if Jaylen Brown was not there. I think that decision right now, if you're a veteran guy who's looking for an opportunity to be on a championship-contending team, an addition like Jaylen Brown to where Philly was, put Philly on that short list of teams," Fisher said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Brown’s résumé helps explain why he has that kind of gravity. He spent a decade as one of Boston’s biggest names, even while Jayson Tatum was often treated as the Celtics’ top attraction. Brown still carved out his own star status, and he backed it up by winning Finals MVP over his longtime running mate.
He then stepped into the spotlight even more during the 2025-26 season, when Tatum was out for most of the year. Boston kept rolling with Brown leading the way, and he closed the season on the All-NBA Second Team after putting up 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
Fisher has seen this kind of star-driven recruiting effect before, from Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in his own playing days. With Brown now in Philadelphia, he sees a similar dynamic taking hold.
And the end result is a 76ers team that suddenly looks loaded. Philadelphia now has the kind of starting lineup that makes life miserable for opponents, and the depth behind it only adds to the problem. If it all comes together, the 76ers have positioned themselves as a real threat to win it all by June 2027.
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