October 01, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
A few months ago, Jaylen Brown probably did not expect to be spending his training camp in Camden.
CAMDEN, N.J. – Exactly three months to the day he was shockingly traded from one rival to another, Jaylen Brown's belongings were arriving in Philadelphia from Boston on Thursday, the five-time All-Star said on Thursday after his third practice with the Sixers.
"And then my family as well," Brown said. "My mom. My grandpa – my grandpa is 85, so moving him from Boston to Philadelphia, I've got to pick my battles. But he's excited. But it is a bunch of little stuff that goes into just making sure not just I'm comfortable, but my family is as well. Everybody here has been super accommodating, so I'm grateful for that."
During Brown's 13-minute media availability, he repeatedly made mention of Tyrese Maxey being particularly communicative and accommodating. This transition is not just weird for Brown; Maxey has faced him in matchups with the Celtics so many times in his NBA career. Brown and the Sixers were rivals for a decade. Now they need each other.
Notes from the third day of Sixers training camp in Camden:
"Tyrese, he's just been a great communicator," Brown said. "He’s been leading on the court early on. He's gone out of his way to make sure that I feel comfortable in the system, which goes a long way. He doesn't have to do that. I'm a tough guy, I'll figure it out regardless. But for him to be trying to make sure I feel welcome, I appreciate it."
It is no surprise that Maxey, the Sixers' trusted vocal leader, has made the strongest impression on Brown, another star player carrying a loud voice.
"He’s been a great leader. He's been a great host. Obviously he's been here for a long time, but he's been the most vocal," Brown said. "And he's been the one kind of making sure everybody is accommodated. He’s overemphasized – he's tried to make me feel comfortable, even if I don't need it. I appreciate it, though. Tyrese has been the most accommodating. He's just – he's been a great host."
If LeBron James and Joel Embiid are this team's special attractions, Maxey and Brown will be the metronomes. Two of the highest-volume scorers in the NBA a season ago, it will be up to Maxey and Brown to keep the Sixers humming on what should be many nights during which they are not at full strength. If those two stabilizers prove capable of holding down the fort comfortably, the Sixers can manage James and Embiid as proactively as possible with the goal of getting the best versions of them later in the season.
Since his introductory press conference in August, Brown has been issuing warnings about the Sixers sticking to the script. They cannot let their enormous collection of talent lead to corners being cut.
However, the sheer volume of star power here is nearly unprecedented. Does Brown appreciate the opportunity to be part of something like this?
"Absolutely. And it's a challenge as well, so it's not going to be easy. I don't expect it to be," Brown said. "How I manage external pressure or expectations is just through work: being the last guy to leave the gym, get enough extra shots, get enough extra reps, just to make sure I'm thinking and seeing through everything, asking questions, not being afraid to ask questions, but just staying calm, cool, and collected. Don't panic. Things may happen; we might have adversity like everybody else, but it's a long journey. Injuries, or things don't go according to plan right away, it's okay. So just don't panic. Stay calm, cool, and collected, and how you respond is everything. I've gained a lot of wisdom being in this league for a long time, and I plan on gaining even more from this group that we have."
MORE: Star-studded starting lineup unveiled at Media Day
Adem Bona (foot sprain) has not been practicing, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Thursday, though he is set to be reevaluated in the next few days, the Sixers said. Bona should be ready for "a couple" of the team's preseason games, Nurse said. Exhibit 10 center Tacko Fall, the Sixers said on Thursday, will be out for at least two weeks after suffering a hip strain on Wednesday.
Perhaps this creates ideal circumstances for Ariel Hukporti, signed to a one-year, $3.4 million contract to compete with Bona for the job of serving as Embiid's primary backup.
"Huk has been big, athletic, plays really hard," Nurse said on Thursday. "Awesome to see."
Hukporti only logged 715 regular-season minutes in two seasons with the New York Knicks; the duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson took down the vast majority of the center minutes there. Hukporti is a very good athlete – perhaps not as mobile as Bona, but he is a decent bit bigger – and the Sixers have a chance to capitalize on untapped potential.
There is much unknown about Hukporti, whose brief NBA cameos have been about screening, rolling and simply trying to eat up minutes. Does Hukporti feel that there are parts of his game he has not been able to show off at the NBA level?
"My offensive game," Hukporti said on Thursday, highlighting his comfortability shooting a one-handed floater and expressing a desire to show off his finishing around the rim. There is no doubt there is risk in entrusting Hukporti as part of the solution to the Sixers' long-running backup center problem, but the 24-year-old possesses a rare blend of movement skill and size.
MORE: Nurse thinks starters will play in preseason; Maxey, Dean Wade talk first practices
• Bona said at Media Day that he has been facing Hukporti in international competition since they were 16 years old; Hukporti said Thursday that it might be as early as when they were 14 years old. Bona teamed with future Houston Rockets star Alperen Şengün; Hukporti had future Orlando Magic centerpiece Franz Wagner on his side.
• James and Embiid have been part of everything the Sixers have done through three days of work, Nurse said. Asked about the NBA's all-time leading scorer and his ability to function as a floor general, Nurse did not anoint James as his point guard – on Tuesday, he indicated it would take some time for the group to iron out specific roles and expectations within the starting lineup – but he did give some insight into James' importance as an offensive initiator.
"LeBron, I consider him a great offense creator," Nurse said. "I don't necessarily mean scorer, I just mean creator and a table-setter and all that kind of stuff, and I think that's where I can see – if [he] isn't bringing it up and starting [possessions, he is] probably going to [receive the] first pass anyway to the wing, and then we get into our actions and he's seeing what's there and he's creating offense for others."
However, Nurse said, "it shouldn't matter" which player is nominally the Sixers' point guard, as this team has many "grab-and-go" players and "secondary triggers." If most players in the rotation are trustworthy with the ball, it offers Nurse optionality: no one player should be required to keep the offensive operation afloat.
• Nurse described Thursday as a "mental day" – after two straight rigorous practices featuring heavy on-court work, more time was dedicated to getting players up to speed on "initial phases" of offense, defense and special teams (out-of-bounds plays, for example).
• In addition to commending Nurse for focusing on defensive concepts first – Nurse said that is his usual approach and not one tailored to this group specifically – Brown showed he knew his audience: In back-to-back answers, he used the phrase "trust the process" when describing the Sixers' next steps.
"Patience is a virtue," Brown said, "and you've just got to trust the process."
MORE: VJ Edgecombe is expecting fun, not pressure; details of LeBron's first practice
