What the Sixers are saying about the Jaylen Brown trade, from ‘Oh, snap!’ to ‘It’s going to be special’

LAS VEGAS — Jaylen Brown has made one brief Sixers appearance, sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game.

Still, the acquisition of the All-NBA wing was one of the more prominent topics throughout his new team’s stay in Las Vegas. There were entertaining stories about how various Sixers found out about the blockbuster trade, illustrating how stunning the move was even to those close to it. And there was excitement for how Brown is expected to enhance a talented roster now with realistic aspirations to contend.

Here is what the Sixers are saying about Brown:

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Edgecombe was in his native Bahamas — and at a spa — when he accidentally missed multiple calls from Sixers executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson.

Then, when he saw a text from Nelson asking to call him as soon as possible, Edgecombe got nervous.

“I was like, ‘Man, it’s free agency, why you calling me so much?’” Edgecombe recalled. “I thought I was gone.”

The actual news Nelson wanted to share — that the trade for Brown was about to happen — still “shocked” Edgecombe, calling it “the last thing I expected.” Edgecombe also described it as “bittersweet” because of the quick rapport he developed with the outgoing Paul George, but said he is eager to play with Brown while at the “peak of his career.”

This trade was kept so under wraps that even Edwards did not catch wind of it while at the Sixers’ facility on the day it popped.

Edwards had just finished a pool conditioning workout and glanced at the television on a sports program dissecting all the league-wide offseason moves. And did a double-take.

“They were talking about Jaylen Brown and PG, but I didn’t pay attention to it,” Edwards said. “I [saw] it, but I looked away. Then I looked again. I’m like, ‘Oh, snap!’ So I called ’Rese [Tyrese Maxey] and he was like, ‘Yeah, man, I knew since this morning.’ I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’”

Wade had already agreed to sign with the Sixers as a free agent the night before the Brown trade. Wade said he was intrigued by a brief “rumor” he heard about the possibility of such a move, but believed it had died out. Then, “all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it just kind of popped back up and it was a done deal.”

As a versatile wing defender who has played his entire career in the Eastern Conference, Wade has plenty of first-hand experience with trying to counter Brown’s offensive prowess and “edge.” He called Brown “definitely one of the toughest people I’ve had to guard. Especially last year, he was just a monster.”

“He gets to his spots [on the court],” Wade said. “It doesn’t really matter if you’re there or not. If you don’t block it, it’s going in, probably. … His size and his athleticism and his skill, they all go hand-in-hand.

“He’s hard to stay in front of. And then he’s also a lot stronger than people think. So he gives you a little bump in the paint [and] it’s kind of hard to recover from that.”

The rookie guard said he was not overly shocked when he heard about the trade because he prides himself on keeping his emotions in check. But he knows Brown is going to be a valuable resource during his first NBA season.

» READ MORE: Before Mike Gansey became a Sixers executive, he was a hard-nosed high school player that earned LeBron James’ respect

“He has that championship DNA,” Philon said. “I feel like, as a young guy, that’s somebody you want to look up to [and] somebody you want to learn from. Somebody that’s already been in that moment, he can help all the other guys too that haven’t reached that level yet [and] help us get over that hump.

“With him coming in, I feel like it’s going to be special. We’re going to go at it at practice. He’s going to push me. I’m going to try to push him to the next level.”

Simons is joining a new team in the Sixers, but reuniting with a former teammate in Brown. They played together with the Celtics for part of last season, before Simons was traded to the Chicago Bulls at the February deadline.

Simons called Brown “kind of the epitome” of a two-way player.

“He’s going to guard the best [opposing] player and go out there and give you 30 [points],” Simons said during his first media availability as a Sixer. “That’s what makes him special, what makes him different.

“So he’s going to come in and bring that championship mentality from Day 1 and try to instill that in the team.”

The Sixers’ new president of basketball operations landed Brown by following advice he learned while working his way up the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office: Make the call. Gansey then aimed to assuage Brown’s initial shock about being traded to the rival Sixers with this simple message: “I want you on my team.”

“I’ve watched him against Cleveland, and he’s always killed us,” Gansey said. “ … We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated. He’s going to be great for everyone because the young guys want that. He’s been a champion and Finals MVP. I think Joel [Embiid is] in a great space and he’s excited, as well.

“Obviously, we’ve got to see what it looks like. You can’t win a trade in July. … Until we actually have a practice or a game, you just don’t know. You hope it’s going to work out, but it’ll take some time, I’m sure.

“I would have never envisioned this, when I’m sitting there [for my introductory news conference in early June]. … Just opportunities arise. And that’s why, this business, you can plan all you want and prepare, but you just don’t know. Things happen.”

Terry was taking a nap — with his cell phone and his baby daughter resting on his chest — when the calls and messages about the trade started pouring in.

“I’m like, ‘Am I still on the team?!’” Terry said once he checked his phone. “ … I’m like, ‘OK, who was it for?’ They said PG [and] I’m like, ‘Dang …’

“I was just thinking about PG the whole time. Then I was like, ‘Wait, we got Jaylen Brown.’”

» READ MORE: Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

The Sixers’ coach praised Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, along with his competitiveness and winning pedigree.

“You watch him get a lot better from year to year to year,” Nurse said, “and how much harder that became to game plan for him. … He’s sitting in his prime. It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”

When asked about Brown sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game, DiLeo had a confession.

“Can I tell you the truth?” the summer Sixers’ coach said. “I didn’t even see him. I try not to look over there that much, but that is amazing to have him here. … The guys seeing him, obviously, that’s great. That’s what we’re looking for with our team, just the support of one another, the support of the organization. So that’s really cool that he [was] here, man.

“I wish [I’d seen] him now. I probably [would have] looked over and would have shook his hand afterward, or something.”