The blockbuster swap that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George has already started to reshape the conversation around the 76ers, and it may not stop with the roster.
The deal, which also included more pieces on both sides, has been viewed as a major win for Philadelphia by most observers. But with a move that big comes pressure, and one ESPN reporter has already pointed to Nick Nurse as a coach who could wind up under the microscope if the 76ers don’t meet expectations.
“The Jaylen Brown-Paul George deal. If Boston wins 50-plus games next season, as it has done the past five seasons, what did the Celtics lose?
“If they stay ahead of Philly in the East, does 76ers' coach Nick Nurse land on the hot seat? If they use the picks they got in the deal to pick up players who significantly improve their roster, what then? Owners value flexibility, and this deal got the system-strong Celtics more flexibility, and it got the 76ers committed to a core that could potentially be a misfit,” ESPN wrote.
That’s the tension hanging over Philadelphia now: the upside is obvious, but the margin for error is thin. A lot of what happens next comes back to health, especially Joel Embiid’s. If the 76ers can stay on the floor, Embiid included, they should be at least a top-five team in the Eastern Conference.
And if Embiid is fully healthy, the ceiling looks even higher. But if he isn’t, it’s hard to pin too much of the blame on Nurse right now.
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Instead, Philadelphia moved on and landed Jaylen Brown, a cleaner and far less risky swing for the franchise. For the teams tied to Leonards past, the uncertainty still lingers, and Toronto is the one left bracing for whatever the league decides to do next, which is exactly why the Sixers were wise to keep their distance. [Read more 🡒]