Labaron Philon Jr. delivering summer delight to the 76ers in Vegas

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LAS VEGAS — Of the few thousand who squeezed into the smaller of the two gyms used for NBA Summer League, one person of interest stood out. That’s not because he wore dark sunglasses indoors, had a prime courtside seat and caused a basketball earthquake when he was traded just days ago.

With the shock of leaving the Boston Celtics still fresh, Jaylen Brown escaped the noise, if for only a day, and scouted a new teammate. Not Joel Embiid or Tyrese Maxey or VJ Edgecomb — those are established bedrocks for the Philadelphia 76ers. Like most in the arena, Brown came to catch Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers’ first-round pick who proved well worth the trip.

Through two games in Vegas, Philon is separating himself from the collection of players, as is the goal for first-rounders in these contests. He had solid stretches Saturday against the Indiana Pacers when he was the best player on the floor. And in his Summer League debut, against the Pistons on Thursday, he was just as good. In both games, he dropped game-deciding baskets down the stretch and is averaging 21 points and 6.5 assists per game.

Just a few feet away, watching Philon look comfortable and deliver constantly against the Pacers, Brown nodded in approval. “Nice,” he said.

Philon is also standing out in another way in Vegas — he’s among a handful of first-rounders who are set to join teams either ready to win and contend next season. It presents a hoops conundrum for him and those players:

On the one hand, they’ll avoid the rebuilding process and the frustrations that come with it. Most lottery picks, especially, will probably lose more games in their rookie season than in their entire basketball careers to this point.

On the flip side, playing time will be challenging for rookies fortunate enough to be on established winning teams. They’ll probably sit more than ever in their basketball lives, which will be strange for them, and may not generate the same production as other rookies who will start and get 30 minutes a night.

Just look at the situation facing Philon: As a 6-foot-4 guard from Alabama and the No. 22 overall pick, Philon is joining a swollen Sixers backcourt with Maxey, who was All-NBA Third Team and Edgecombe, who was All-Rookie First Team and free agent Anfernee Simons, a proven shooter who just a few years ago was a 20-point scorer. Which means Philon is coming off the bench.

Furthermore, there’s a sense of urgency in Philadelphia next season. The addition of Brown just raised the temperature, along with the expectations bar. Usually for teams in these situations, developing rookies isn’t the highest priority.

Philon isn’t alone in that sense in this Draft class. There’s also Kingston Flemings, the No. 8 pick of the Atlanta Hawks, a playoff team last season. And Aday Mara, the Michigan center who now must find time on the loaded Oklahoma City Thunder, same for another rookie center, Tarris Reed Jr. (No. 26) in San Antonio. As for Brown’s former team, the Celtics added Chris Cenac Jr. at 27 and hope to stay among the top shelf in the East regardless next season.

The good news for the Sixers, if this summer sneak peek is real: Philon will force his way into the rotation anyway.

Philon adapting to NBA pace

TJ DiLeo, who’s coaching the Summer League for the Sixers, says simply: “He’s a gamer.”

Philon had 22 points against the Pacers and dropped the biggest overtime basket. He also had only two turnovers, and his dribble game was tight enough. This ball security was important to the Sixers and Philon, who said he didn’t want to necessarily be classified as a point guard or off-the-ball guard, but “a smart guard.”

He shows good pace, a smooth understanding of the game and adapted quickly to the flow. He looks like he belongs.

Also, and perhaps more impressively, he has gravitated to the demands of the moment in Summer League. In both games, he had the ball and the decision-making responsibilities in those tight finishes. And each time he responded. The night before the OT win against the Pacers, he was cool in the clutch against the Pistons, hitting the eventual game-winner to cap an 18-point, seven-assist performance.

This meet-the-moment mentality is heightened on a contending team, which the Sixers will be next season. Because: If Philon is on the floor in moments of truth, he needs the confidence of coach Nick Nurse to stay on the floor. That’s what Edgecombe did last season as a rookie.

“I want to show that I can compete, having that same dawg mentality I had at Alabama,” Philon said.

Nurse had a history of rationing minutes to rookies, although that reputation took a hit last season when Edgecombe, deservedly, started every game and averaged 35 minutes, second-highest on the team. Also, after watching Philon’s first Summer League game, Nurse said he sees Philon as a rotational piece in 2026-27.

Here’s another reason the Sixers have big plans for Philon: He can reverse a situation that backfired last season.

Opportunity awaits in Philadelphia

The Sixers obtained the pick used on Philon from Oklahoma City in the midseason Jared McCain trade. When McCain made an immediate impact for OKC, the Sixers caught the wrath of their fans. How far would the Sixers have gone in this year’s playoffs with McCain, a much-needed shooter?

The trade no doubt cost Daryl Morey standing toward the end of his run atop basketball operations in Philadelphia. And now, a silver lining: Mike Gansey, the new lead executive, found a potential McCain replacement at No. 22 in the draft.

While Philon is going to a team that’s rich in backcourt help, he also becomes necessary for a team with a second unit that ranked 27th in scoring. Plus, the Sixers could use a player with point guard instincts, since Maxey is more of a shooting guard. That’s where Philon can earn his minutes by creating for others in addition to himself.

“I think he can come in and play,” said Gansey. “He’s on the slighter side, he’s got to get stronger … we had him high on our board and he just happened to be a point guard. We really felt excited about him.”

If Philon is indeed a top rookie next season, it will continue an impressive draft trend for the franchise. Give Morey credit for much of that. The Sixers in this decade drafted Maxey, Edgecombe, McCain, Paul Reed, Isaiah Joe, Adem Bona and Johni Broome. That’s quite a run. Maxey is a star, Edgecombe might be one in the future, McCain is among the league’s best long-range shooters and the others have found roles in the league.

So maybe this is destined to happen for Philon. Maybe he’s about to fall in line. In a 2026 NBA Draft rich with guards — six were taken in the top 10 — the Sixers hope to emerge with one of the better ones, with a pick that fell in the late first round, a pick obtained in a very controversial trade at the time.

If there’s a rush to patent Philon-delphia as a slogan next season, then the hints were first dropped in Las Vegas.

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