Warriors had a chance to trade for Jaylen Brown, now he’s the reason LeBron James joined the 76ers

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The Golden State Warriors could have acquired Jaylen Brown in a trade months before anyone else, and turned it down.

The Philadelphia 76ers are reaping the rewards of being aggressive in the trade market, acquiring Brown from the Boston Celtics for a reasonable price.

If adding Brown instead of Paul George didn’t make the 76ers better, signing LeBron James to a minimum contract most definitely has boosted their chances.

The Warriors could have been enjoying all of this.

Warriors could have acquired Jaylen Brown in the winter of 2026

ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that the Warriors chose to stay away from the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes after the Celtics wanted four first-round picks for him at the 2026 trade deadline.

“The Warriors could’ve got in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes if they wanted to give up 4 first-round picks-ish, in that range. They decided not to, from my understanding.”

“Those 2 teams, the Warriors and Celtics, did talk about a Jaylen Brown trade around the trade deadline, and it was around several first-round draft picks, potential swaps, and seconds. The Warriors decided not to go down that route, and so that’s on them. That’s the decision they made.”

Charania also mentioned that if the Warriors committed to acquiring Anthony Davis, the franchise would’ve had as good a chance as anybody to land James’ signature.

76ers adding Jaylen Brown tipped the scales in the LeBron James sweepstakes

The 76ers adding Jaylen Brown for a reasonable price to an already competitive core was a masterstroke. That addition made James feel like the 76ers were the best option for his immediate goal, which is to win a championship.

Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in an All-NBA season with the Celtics last season. LeBron adjusted his role with the Lakers all year and ended the season with 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds.

Both of these players could’ve been wearing a Warriors jersey right now if the franchise had been bold enough to trade Jimmy Butler for Brown in February, or at least considered it this summer.

Now, Stephen Curry will have to carry the franchise at 38 years old to remain competitive enough for a postseason spot if Butler returns later in the season.