This is a story about Jarrett Allen.
It is a story about Caris LeVert and Julius Randle, Daunte Exum and Taurean Prince.
It’s a story about the as yet unnamed players that the Sixers will end up with once they trade Ben Simmons.
It is, in short, a story about ‘player empowerment’—from the other side of the fence.
The May 13, 2021 issue of The New Yorker featured a rather star-struck profile of Rich Paul, who the author, Isaac Chotiner, says has been at the forefront of player empowerment, which he defines as, “the additional clout that athletes—usually superstars—wield as they change teams more frequently and develop fan bases distinct from those in the cities they represent.