The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't intentionally help the Sixers land Jaylen Brown, but that's what happened anyway. In an interview with The Athletic, Mike Gansey, Philadelphia's new president of basketball operations, said that a philosophy he learned (subscription required) from Dan Gilbert during his 15 years with the organization helped him and general manager Jameer Nelson get the Celtics star.
During Gansey’s days as GM in Cleveland, resilience and persistence had been drilled into him. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert would routinely call, text or email some version of the same question: Did we call and check on this guy? Did we call everyone?
Philadelphia didn't think that Boston would send Brown to a division rival, but the Sixers kept trying anyway. They got an assist from the Bucks when it became public that Boston offered the guard in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, clearing the runway for Philly to get him.
Gansey carried a lesson he learned from Gilbert to the Sixers, and it paid off immediately. Philadelphia acquired Brown in what seemed like an impossible deal, and it led the team to LeBron James. Clearly, that's not the way the Cavaliers wanted it to play out.
Gansey set his sights on Brown, and it worked
Cleveland's offseason looks better now than it did after LeBron chose to sign with Philadelphia, specifically with Peyton Watson's arrival. Still, it certainly doesn't help the Cavaliers that one of their conference foes got significantly stronger this summer.
Brown and LeBron breathed life back into Philadelphia at a time when the Sixers needed it most. Yes, they beat Boston in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, but like the Cavaliers, they were swept by the Knicks.
After some savvy offseason maneuvering, Philadelphia is a true contender and one of Cleveland's biggest roadblocks in its quest for a title.
Questions remain about the new-look Sixers, including whether their starting five can adjust to different roles and stay healthy. Philadelphia is especially glad to have the former question circling over its head, as it's a testament to the work the front office did this summer. It's not a bad thing to have too much, not when the alternative is not having enough, which was the case for Philly.
Gansey had his work cut out for him in his first summer as the lead decision-maker, and it's still far too early to say whether it will work out or not, but it sure seems like the Sixers are on the right track.
The Cavaliers can only hope the Sixers' hype stays in the offseason and doesn't carry into the regular season and playoffs as they push to run it back with their core, which now includes James Harden.
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