'I Don't Trust Embiid,' NBA Exec Evaluates 76ers & Celtics After Jaylen Brown Trade

Despite acquiring star guard Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers are still facing questions about their status as NBA championship contenders next season.

ESPN's Vincent Goodwill spoke to an executive who raised concerns about Sixers star center Joel Embiid, though they acknowledged that Brown will provide Philadelphia with a dimension it was missing last year.

"I don't trust Embiid. On paper, they should be top four. On paper," the exec said. "Jaylen Brown brings them a level of toughness Boston's going to miss. He brings them an edge."

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens explained to reporters on Monday that the decision to trade Brown was made for financial reasons, as he's owed $183 million over the next three years.

"The path looked a little bit more challenging with 70 percent of our cap and such a high percent of our usage tied into two players," Stevens said.

Embiid's injury history has caused him to take a backseat in the Sixers' hierarchy, as point guard Tyrese Maxey emerged as the team's focal point and led Philadelphia with 28.3 points per game in 2025-26. Embiid was a strong No. 2 option with 26.9 ppg, but he was limited to just 38 games, his third straight year falling below the 40-game threshold.

Goodwill spoke to another top decision-maker who feels the acquisition of Brown will lessen Philadelphia's dependency on Embiid even further.

"He only has to play 40 games because of JB and their great backcourt," the decision-maker said of Embiid.

The Sixers have an incredible collection of talent following the addition of Brown, but it sounds like it could take some time to find the right formula for them to become one of the elite teams in the NBA.