Jaylen Brown is leaving Boston after 10 seasons. The Celtics traded the former Finals MVP to the Philadelphia 76ers, with ESPN's Shams Charania first reporting the deal.
According to CBS News, the trade sends Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston. The 2028 first-round pick could convert from a first to a swap more favorable to Boston. The deal also gives the Celtics a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and conditional 2028 and 2030 second-round selections.
Brown was the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 20.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game across his 10 seasons with Boston, made five All-Star teams, and was named second-team All-NBA twice. When the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 to win the franchise's 18th championship, Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5 assists on his way to being named Finals MVP.
This past season, with Jayson Tatum missing nearly all of it while recovering from a torn Achilles, Brown put together the best year of his career. He scored 28.7 points per game and finished sixth in the MVP voting. Tatum returned late in the regular season, but Boston blew a 3-1 series lead against the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
The trade had been building for some time. Brown's status became uncertain after Boston offered him and draft picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That deal fell through, and Antetokounmpo was later traded to the Miami Heat. Rumors that Brown remained available continued after that.
After the playoff loss, Brown publicly criticized 76ers center Joel Embiid for flopping. The two are now teammates.
The trade caught some observers off guard given recent public statements from Celtics leadership. After the first round of this year's NBA Draft, team president Brad Stevens said he still saw Brown as part of the team's future.
"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us. I don't want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team," Stevens said.
Brown, for his part, had made clear he was aware of the trade speculation. Hours before Antetokounmpo was dealt to Miami, he addressed doubters directly on his Twitch stream.
"To all the people that's doubted me, that want me to do this, or want me, you're turning me into a monster," Brown said.
Despite the difficult end to the season, Brown had said on Twitch that "this was my favorite year," a comment that drew backlash. He later explained that the Celtics had been counted out with Tatum hurt and had exceeded expectations.
