Colin Cowherd has a theory about the Jaylen Brown trade that is either brilliant or completely unhinged. Maybe both. It involves Brad Stevens playing 4D chess, a rookie who hasn’t played an NBA game yet, and a Sixers locker room that might already be too crowded with alpha personalities.
On his FS1 show The Herd, Cowherd told Rachel Nichols that the Celtics president of basketball operations might have sent Brown to Philadelphia for a reason that has nothing to do with getting better players back.
“You know, I almost thought this was Brad Stevens looked at VJ Edgecombe, who thinks he’s a one and probably not yet, but he’s a year out. Tyrese Maxey is a one, and Embiid’s a one. Jaylen Brown thinks he’s a one. And in a weird way, it was Brad Stevens saying, ‘We’re struggling just with Tatum and Brown.’ Because VJ Edgecombe is a fast-rising star. So, you have three guys, minimum, maybe four, that view themselves as ‘I get the last shot,’” Cowherd said.
The conspiracy goes like this: Stevens recognized that the Celtics could never fully click with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both needing to be the guy. So instead of just trading Brown to the highest bidder, he sent him to a Sixers team that already has Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and rookie VJ Edgecombe — all guys who think they should take the last shot.
“I know this sounds crazy and conspiratorial, but I honestly think Brad looked at it and thought, ‘We can’t get the Tatum Brown thing, right. And he likes us. They’ve got four guys who are number ones.’ I would not be shocked if the Sixers, they’re not moving off Edgecombe or Maxey, that I know, and Embiid, if they could, they would. But I wonder if that’s part of it. Like ‘Guys, good luck with this?’”
It’s a fun theory. But here’s the thing about having too many guys who want the ball in crunch time — it only works if they’re willing to sacrifice. The Warriors managed it with Curry, Durant, and Thompson because they bought into the system. The 2014 Spurs had no ego at all. But the Sixers? Embiid has never been shy about wanting the ball. Maxey is emerging as a star. Edgecombe was the No. 3 pick and clearly has that mentality. Now add Brown, who won Finals MVP and has every reason to believe he’s the man.
Cowherd admitted he was surprised Boston took this deal at all. “Boston got worse. There’s just no question about it after this trade.” That is probably true in the short term. Paul George is good, but Brown is younger and coming off a championship run where he looked like the best player on the floor.
The Celtics are betting on chemistry over raw talent. The Sixers are betting they can manage four alpha egos. One of those bets is way riskier than the other.
We’ll find out which one was right starting in October.
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