Five Spike Thoughts About the Early Off-Season Craziness

Yes Embiid Trade, No LeBron Signing

Just a normal week, huh!? You can say this about the Sixers, they never win anything, but they certainly always want to give the podcast something to talk about.

When we did the emergency pod on Tuesday night after the trade, the timing was sort of weird. It wasn’t exactly when the trade happened, so I wasn’t able to present my immediate emotional reaction. It also was only like an hour after it happened, so I hadn’t fully digested it. I was trying to figure it out on the fly.

With the time I’ve had, I’ve settled on a few things.

I’m Very Glad They Made The Trade

Jaylen Brown is really good, a Finals MVP just two years ago, and plays hard and often. The idea that we’ll get to watch him in his prime for the next few years (I assume) rather than Paul George seems sort of like a miracle. I’m excited to watch him as a Sixer.

We (I) can get precious about the draft picks end of it sometimes, of course. But two first round picks seems more than fair. You can think of first round picks as future players (as Mike likes to) or as currency (to go exchange it for something of value). And just like currency, you can always get more of it. The league just gives it to you after every year that passes.

Also, I’ve never like hated Jaylen Brown they way I couldn’t stand say, Al Horford.

They Need to Find a Way to Move More Quickly on Joel Embiid

They’ve got to find a trade for Joel.

I say this knowing it’s going to upset a large portion of the fan base. I love Joel Embiid. I’m sorry we’re at this place.

By trading the future picks for a 30-year-old Jaylen Brown, they have doubled down on right now and Tyrese Maxey’s prime as well. You can not win a title with a $60+ million super max sitting on the bench for half of the games and unable to play every game in the playoffs. It just won’t work in the 2026 version of the NBA.

It would be hard enough to build out a roster with Brown and Embiid’s salary together (only one of the players with a Top 18 NBA salary was even playing in the Finals), much less when one of them doesn’t play enough. And to top it off, Embiid isn’t some role player or “fits anywhere” wing. When Embiid is playing, it all revolves around him.

Also, don’t act like the fact that Shams noted that Brown reached out to Maxey and Edgecombe, and did not do that with Embiid, isn’t notable. Don’t act like Brown calling Maxey and Edgecombe on his Twitch stream, but not Embiid, isn’t notable.

The Knicks weren’t just the best team in the playoffs this year, they were the healthiest. I was mostly resigned to letting the Embiid years play out, rather than spending draft capital to do it. I don’t think you can wait it out anymore. I don’t think now is the time for half measures. Not to mention, I’m just not sure we need three players thinking they’re the No. 1 option.

The Sixers need a deeper roster, a rim protecting center (or a true stretch three, or both) they can count on to play every game, and to not waste the prime years of Brown and Maxey.

I Am, Of Course, A Little Terrified of Trading With the Celtics

The Celtics are a well run organization who have been in the Finals twice over the last decade and won one. They lost their coach to some weird controversy and just had the next Coach Of The Year sitting on their bench. Their other coach just decided to be their GM and somehow is great at it. They already took advantage of the Sixers almost ten years ago with the Fultz/Tatum trade. There are a lot of reasons to be scared here.

While I think the Sixers did the right thing, I am just going to stop short of the people saying they “fleeced” the Celtics. That doesn’t add up to me. No matter what price the Sixers paid, they still offered more than everyone else.

The Celtics mismanagement of the situation is of course the reason for a lot of this I’d guess. But it doesn’t change the fact that the player we just traded for was available for every team, and every team either decided to pass on the opportunity or offer less than us.

Perhaps it’s because I’m damaged emotionally from the last 13 years. But I’m sleeping with one eye open on this one.

The Enemy Is Now My Small Forward

The Year of the YouTube Big Board

The Sixers took Labaron Philon Jr. in the draft, who was #2 on this year’s YouTube Big Board. It was a big win for the YTBB.

But the signing of Anfernee Simons might be an even bigger one. The die-hards know that Simons was one of the original “what are you talking about?!” YTBB stars from years ago. Both Mike and our draft expert guest were taken aback when Simons was in my Top 10. I’m thrilled that he’s a Sixer.

The last time a new POBO tried to pander to us we ended up with TLC and Furk though, so I guess be careful what you wish for.

No LeBron

No, I don’t want LeBron.

Also no, I don’t think LeBron is spending the last year of his career in Philly watching Brown dribble the air out of the ball and Joel showing up at 6:45 for a 7:30 game deciding at the last minute if he wants to play. Yes, even if Maxey has the same agent.

Team Ricky

• Here are Beckett’s initial thoughts on the trade. He’ll have a detailed Stat-Man type analysis next week.

• Here’s the draft night pod.

• Here’s AU going long on turning 40.

Team Non-Ricky

• Here’s KOC’s trade reaction pod (it’s a good one).