The Sixers needed a miracle to change the course of their franchise, one that hasn’t seen so much as a trip to the conference finals in a quarter-century. With two seemingly immovable contracts, there wasn’t much hope for an off-season that could turn things measurably for the better. One suc h miracle came to pass last week, when new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey worked out a trade with the Celtics to acquire 5-time All-Star and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, for Paul George and 4 draft picks. You are excused if you thought this was a joke at first glance. You’re not the only one. Sixers legend and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was a guest on Unfiltered on 97.5 The Fanatic Tuesday, and he also didn’t believe the news at first. “I was like, ‘This can’t be a true story,’” Barkley told host Bill Colarulo. “There’s so much fake stuff on the Internet, I’m like, ‘No, they didn’t just trade him to the Sixers.’” “Man, the Sixers just got away with murder,” he added. “With Paul [George]’s contract and Joel [Embiid]’s inability to stay healthy, they were going to be out of the running for the next 4-5 years. Now they’re legitimate contenders.” According to Barkley, the move shifted the balance of power in the East. Pairing Brown with lead guard Tyrese Maxey gives the Sixers a dynamic 1-2 offensive punch that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the Eastern Conference. Brown (28.7 ppg) and Maxey (28.3) finished fourth and fifth respectively in the NBA in scoring last season. The addition of Brown will also ease Maxey’s burden when it comes to his workload. No NBA player logged more minutes per game than Maxey’s 38. With another star in the lineup with takeover capabilities, Maxey doesn’t have to shoulder as much of the scoring load. Brown’s impact, however, will be most felt by the team’s central figure, Embiid. Barkley said that this trade could re-define things for the 2-time scoring champion. “This might save his career,” Barkley said. “He ain’t got to be the best player, he’s just got to try to stay healthy. I think Joel and Tyrese have to be the happiest two dudes in the NBA right now. Because they were gonna be irrelevant.” This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less