He traded away young assets like Robert Covington and Dario Saric for Jimmy Butler. Butler ended up staying for just that season and the Sixers had no choice but to flip him for Josh Richardson. There’s no denying that Richardson has his moments, but he’s honestly not a big upgrade over Covington and Saric.
Brand gave up on Markelle Fultz, who in all fairness needed to get out of Philadelphia. However, the only thing of value that the 76ers got back in that trade was a first-round pick that may not convey to the Sixers. At the time, that seemed like fair value, but Fultz has now outplayed the value of that deal, despite his struggles from downtown.
The young GM also traded away J.J. Redick‘s heir apparent in Landry Shamet for Tobias Harris. Don’t be mistaken, Harris brings a lot of value to the Sixers, but he’s not the floor spacer that Shamet is becoming, which is essential to what Philly needs to make the duo of Simmons and Embiid to work.
From a salary cap standpoint, it makes sense that Brand did these moves. With rookie extensions looming there wasn’t a way to improve the team via free agency, but it’s fair to ask if he made the right moves to improve the overall talent on the roster. In the past, I graded Brand on his moves as GM, but in hindsight, those grades seem a little generous now.