When Labaron Philon heard his name called by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, he appeared to be heading to a roster in sore need of an influx of on-ball playmaking. Outside of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers had a sore need for more guards, something that was exposed in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks.
Philon appeared to have an obvious path to huge minutes as a rookie.
That path looks a lot less certain now.
The 76ers pulled off a major blockbuster trade on Wednesday by acquiring former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a stunner that shook the entire NBA. Brown will likely start as the "three" for Philly next to both Maxey and Edgecombe, but he'll get plenty of work on the ball as well.
The 76ers weren't done, either.
On Thursday, Philly agreed to a two-year, $13.5 million contract with free agent guard Anfernee Simons, who will likely be the top guard off the bench next season.
That leaves Philon's immediate future a bit murkier than originally thought. That's not a bad thing, though.
Labaron Philon can now focus on development during his rookie season with the Sixers
With what Philadelphia added, anything they get out of a rookie Philon will be a bonus. That's a good thing. Placing a massive burden on a rookie guard can be challenging for the player, something the organization clearly understands.
Philon will still play a role, but he won't be burdened with the same expectations that it appeared he might.
Philadelphia can take things slower with Philon, allowing him to come along at his own pace instead of trying to rush his development to get him ready for major minutes immediately.
The good news for Philon is that he is used to playing on a team with many high-level guards. In his freshman season at Alabama, he played alongside Mark Sears, Aden Holloway, and Chris Youngblood. He learned how to play off-the-ball, and his much-improved three-point shot will make that a much easier transition as an NBA rookie next to guys who need the ball in their hands.
And he'll still get plenty of opportunities with the ball in his hands, too. He'll come off the bench as the aggressive, change-of-pace rookie who can get up and down the floor and frustrate opposing benches. He'll play that role well.
The Sixers, who finished as the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference last season, appear to have taken a major leap with the Brown trade. It's quite possible that Philon's rookie season will be spent on a team capable of competing with the Knicks in the East.
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