Kevin Durant warns Eastern Conference as 76ers form new Big 3

The Philadelphia 76ers didn't waste any time transforming their roster, executing a massive blockbuster on July 2 to acquire Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George and four draft picks. 

Pairing Brown with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey completely shifts Philly's ceiling. Analysts already view this new big three as the biggest threat in the East outside of the defending-champion New York Knicks, especially with sophomore VJ Edgecombe and new free-agent signing Dean Wade stepping into the starting group.

Brown is far from a regular secondary option. He is fresh off a brilliant year in Boston, where he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, cementing his status as an elite asset alongside his 2024 Finals MVP trophy. He now walks into an offense tailored around Embiid and Maxey, creating a terrifying trio of legitimate All-Star scorers on the same floor.

Kevin Durant is already sold on what Philadelphia just built. The Houston Rockets forward was in town Tuesday for the MLB All-Star Game and sat down with NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark, who asked for his first impressions of the retooled Sixers roster.

"Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous," Durant said. "It's gonna be exciting, I'm happy for him. It's a fresh start, and Philly fans are going to love him."

Given how much the Eastern Conference changed this summer, KD’s blunt and cryptic warning is hard to ignore.

Miami Heat traded several young players to get Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside Bam Adebayo. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors agreed to a blockbuster trade to bring back Kawhi Leonard, but that deal is currently on hold while the NBA investigates the Los Angeles Clippers.

Meanwhile, Boston took a step back on paper. Paul George is 36, has not played more than 41 games in the last two years, and makes over $54 million this season. 

Celtics president Brad Stevens admitted the team traded Brown because they didn't want 70% of their salary cap tied up in just two players. Above everyone else sit the Knicks, who just won their first championship in 53 years behind Finals MVP Jalen Brunson.

That is the exact situation Durant is talking about. The Knicks knocked Philadelphia out in the second round last season, so the Sixers made the biggest move of the summer to fix that problem. Durant has played with and against almost all of these guys, and he is putting the Sixers right up there with the teams building around Antetokounmpo and Leonard. 

With Embiid, Maxey, and Brown together, KD’s take is proof that the gap at the top of the East just got a whole lot smaller.

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