The Philadelphia 76ers have been the talk of the summer due to the moves made by President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey and the front office. After being swept in Round 2 by the New York Knicks, the Sixers moved on from Daryl Morey and hired Gansey in his place as they looked to a new era in the franchise's storied history.
Gansey went to work right away acquiring good role players to bolster the team's depth, but he then swung for the fences with the big deal of trading for Jaylen Brown from the rival Boston Celtics. The Sixers were able to get him for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two seconds as they move forward with their title plans.
Doc Rivers, who coached both the Celtics and the Sixers, gave his thoughts on the move as he gets prepared to be inducted into the Hall of Fame:
I was surprised like everybody else, if I'm being honest, and I was surprised they did it with Philly...there's a lot of reasons why trades happen and I think in Boston's view, they have a plan. And we'll see it play out.
Doc Rivers says Tommy Heinsohn would’ve HATED the Jaylen Brown to 76ers trade. https://t.co/UAlQvoX7fwpic.twitter.com/HgTnJlo9EA
— NBA History on CLNS (@NBAHistoryCLNS) August 14, 2026
Rivers coached the Sixers for three seasons and led them to a lot of regular-season success, but they were unable to get over that Round 2 hump. They held a 3-2 lead over Brown and the Celtics in the 2023 semifinals, but were unable to close the deal, losing Game 6 at home before falling on the road in Game 7.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Doc Rivers gives thoughts on Sixers acquiring Jaylen Brown in a deal