As if the fallout from the Boston Celtics’ decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t have gotten any more painful, the Sixers poured salt in the wound Monday. Once the trade became officially official, with the league’s moratorium period ending at noon, the team’s social account shared an early look at Brown’s new threads.
If Celtics fans didn’t think they could get more angry heading into the highly anticipated Brad Stevens-Bill Chisholm press conference, they thought wrong.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 6, 2026
The video begins with a shot of Brown’s new locker and his jersey hanging in the shadows. The camera pans closer and closer until eventually the uniform becomes fully visible with Brown’s No. 7 now in Sixers’ blue and white.
Throughout, the 76ers’ social team wove clips of different pundits and personalities praising the former NBA Finals MVP -- an ironic twist considering that those same media members spent the last few weeks gaslighting everyone into believing Brown isn’t a winning player.
The Jaylen Brown trade itself was painful enough for Celtics fans
The smear campaign hit an entirely new level once the trade was reported on Wednesday. Maybe it was just members of the media trying to fathom how Boston could be satisfied trading one of their franchise pillars to the rival 76ers, for a package consisting of a 36-year-old Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
George had widely been viewed as a negative asset around the league because of his hefty contract, worth roughly the same as Brown’s. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even went as far to say that there was a belief that the price for Philadelphia to get a team to take on the $117 million he’s owed over the next two seasons (with the 2027-28 campaign being a player option) was an attached first-round pick.
So, by that standard, Boston only garnered one first and two seconds for taking on George’s contract. Oh, and they gave up Brown.
Simply put, it’s a mind boggling decision. Even if the Cs truly believe that the draft capital and eventual financial flexibility when George’s deal expires will be valuable, there’s still no explanation as to why they felt the trade had to happen last week.
There’s still two full months left in the offseason. The Celtics could’ve easily held out for more, and encouraged other teams to outbid the 76ers. Brown didn’t want out of Boston, either, according to multiple reports.
So, the urgency remains a massive mystery.
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