The Philadelphia 76ers are at a crossroads this summer. They have been given a treasure, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and now must choose how to use it. Do they trade it for a veteran to try and win now around Joel Embiid? Do they use the pick on a top prospect and reset around a younger core?
That answer relies in part with the options available on either path. If the 76ers could trade the No. 3 pick for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they would obviously sprint down the win-now path. If they had landed the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, Cooper Flagg would be heading to the City of Brotherly Love.
While the scenarios for the 76ers to somehow land the No. 1 pick are now infinitesimal, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Cooper Flagg could be on the move -- and there might just be a way for Philadelphia to join such a trade, get younger and arm themselves to bound back up the standings next season.
Doing so would require the addition of an All-Star level player, ideally a wing or forward with two-way capability who can operate as a secondary scorer alongside Tyrese Maxey when Joel Embiid is unavailable, but also elevate the entire team alongside both Maxey and Embiid.
Unfortunately for the 76ers over the past decade, that player has been suiting up along the Atlanta coast from them, and his name is Jaylen Brown. The reigning Finals MVP is a perfect fit with Embiid and Maxey and could very well come available this summer after his superstar teammate Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles against the New York Knicks.
Let's take a look at a blockbuster 3-team trade where Daryl Morey leads Philadelphia to take a bold swing, and evaluate whether it makes sense or if Philly should stay away.
Details of a Jaylen Brown, Cooper Flagg trade
The No. 3 pick is a valuable draft asset, especially in a draft with a number of high-upside players in the mix through the middle of the lottery. It's a weighty chip to use in negotiations to trade for a star player.
If the 76ers were to approach the Boston Celtics and offer the No. 3 pick with Paul George's contract, a reasonable case could be made for that being a fair deal. George absolutely had a down year, but he has a long track record of being an ideal complementary player. His value is diminished, but it's hardly extinguished.
As floated by Bill Simmons on his podcast for The Ringer the night of the Draft Lottery, the Celtics would at least have to think about such a trade. The No. 3 pick would bring cost-controlled production for Boston and help them extend out the prime of their team as next season likely appears to be a lost one in terms of title contention with Jayson Tatum sidelined for recovery.
Yet there are two barriers to the Celtics accepting such a trade. The first is that they do not get any cheaper in such a deal, and in fact add a large, long-term contract that would be difficult to move off of. Secondly, the players likely available with the No. 3 pick don't appear to be the sorts of prospects who can help Boston return to contention in two and three years.
Yet what holding the No. 3 pick could allow the Celtics to do is pivot to the Dallas Mavericks, who own the No. 1 pick. Presumptive top overall pick Cooper Flagg is a Maine native and appears to be the sort of prospect who will be ready to contribute immediately and reach All-Star status two or three years into his career; he was the best player in college while also being the youngest this past season.
The Dallas Mavericks have indicated initially that they are not open to shopping the No. 1 pick, but they have a roster built to win now, not later, and decision-maker Nico Harrison has proven to be both unpredictable and very taken to thinking against the grain. If he wants to prioritize winning over the next couple of seasons without losing the long-term value of a top pick, and is searching for the ideal fit next to Kyrie Irving, the Celtics would now be able to offer both.
Thus a three-team trade is born. The Celtics get Cooper Flagg and Paul George, the Mavericks get Jrue Holiday and the No. 3 pick, and the 76ers gain Jaylen Brown to give them a younger, more dynamic "Big 3" to return to contention. Here is what the deal would look like in full:
This deal works financially as both the Celtics and the Mavericks send out slightly more salary than they take back, with Philadelphia holding the flexibility to increase salary in a trade. Boston builds around Cooper Flagg and is more flexible with their salary sheet, and if Paul George gets healthy and has a bounce-back season, he can either contribute to Boston's future push or be traded elsewhere. Dallas gets an All-Defense guard to pair with Kyrie Irving and still drafts someone at No. 3 to develop for the future.
Does this deal work for the Philadelphia 76ers? It's certainly a risky move, as they currently have the option of drafting a young prospect to grow alongside Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes and Tyrese Maxey. This would accelerate their timetable, although at the same time relieve some of the pressure of committing to Paul George.
If Joel Embiid is healthy enough to play next season, Jaylen Brown is an ideal fit next to him and a proven playoff performer. Nick Nurse would have a starting lineup that fits with multiple intriguing bench players: Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Jaylen Brown, Guerschon Yabusele and Joel Embiid with Jared McCain, Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond coming off the bench -- plus the potential to add a player or two in free agency -- is a team that can expect to make real noise in the Eastern Conference.
Yet this all assumes that Joel Embiid is healthy enough to play. If not, would they have been better served using the pick and starting to build their post-Embiid core? Will Brown retain his value enough to flip him if things continue to go south?
This is a risky move, but it has a lot of upside and helps the 76ers now and later. If such a wild but strangely realistic deal were to come their way, Daryl Morey is likely going to jump on board.