Jaylen Brown is headed to Philadelphia, not Atlanta. Here's why the Hawks were smart to stay out of the bidding on the Celtics star.
There's been a lot of talk about analytics around the NBA lately.
Can numbers solely capture a player's value? What do we do with a guy who registers impressive counting stats, but the numbers suggest he doesn't impact winning? We can try to contextualize, but ultimately, that's a concern for the team that has that player on their roster.
That's why some fans are celebrating the fact that Jaylen Brown won't be joining the Atlanta Hawks. The popular Hawks trade target was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and draft capital.
Others are mad. They're advanced stat agnostics who don't believe the numbers accurately capture Brown's impact.
He's become the poster child for the conversation. There is no shortage of stats suggesting the Celtics have been better when Brown sits, yet this is a former Finals MVP.
The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. Brown plays a difficult role. He's tasked with hitting tough shots and guarding good players. That mutes his advanced stats somewhat, but it's still concerning that other players play a comparable role and demonstrably help their teams win.
In any event, he won't be a Hawk. That's something fans should be celebrating, and that's not even (strictly) due to his statistical profile.
Hawks Are Wise to Stay Patient
The 76ers gave up George, a 2028 first-rounder, an unprotected 2031 first-rounder, and two second-round picks.
The Hawks don't have a George equivalent from a contractual perspective, so they'd have had to split Brown's massive contract between two or three players. At least one of those players would likely have been young and talented. Then, they'd have to have forked over draft capital that they can't easily spare.
You can feel however you like about Brown. That doesn't make sense for the Hawks. With the constrictions of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it behooves the organization to keep building around homegrown talent. The Hawks are young and talented. A patient, gradual approach will allow them to build a deeper and more cohesive team.
This is the nature of the NBA offseason. Fans get attached to an idea without considering the long-term implications. The Sixers were a surprise suitor for Brown. Most expected him to be Atlanta, or Portland, or maybe Denver-bound.
He'll have a lot to prove in 2026-27. Brown will be looking to demonstrate that his teams win no matter where he goes. He'll want to prove the more math-oriented fans wrong. We'll see what happens. Hawks fans will be watching from a distance.
