The Boston Celtics may have made the worst move of the offseason by trading Jaylen Brown to the rival Philadelphia 76ers for a disastrous return headlined by Paul George. Shams Charania reported two first-round picks and two second-rounders were headed to Boston, but they didn’t even get that. The Celtics got one unprotected first. The other is a swap or a pick in the second half of the first-round in 2028.
Brown was the Finals MVP in 2024. He just finished sixth in MVP voting and led the Celtics to second place in the Eastern Conference before Jayson Tatum even played a game. Boston was 41-21 as Tatum recovered from his torn Achilles. Brown averaged 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.0 steal in 34.3 minutes per game in his absence. This is a superstar that the Celtics just dumped for next to nothing.
The Celtics felt like they had to move on. They tried to trade Brown for Giannis, but Milwaukee took the Heat’s package. The relationship between JB and the Celtics had clearly become untenable, but that doesn't explain why Brad Stevens chose this package. Boston may have literally given Brown away for free.
Celtics' Jaylen Brown trade is an epic disaster
Paul George had a bit of a resurgence last season, but as a 3-and-D role player, not a superstar. The 36-year-old’s injury history is the biggest concern. He has played just 341 games over the last seven years, or just 48.7 per year. To make matters worse, he is declining with two years remaining on a max contract.
George’s contract had negative trade value. The Sixers would have had to attach at least one first-round pick to move off him, and the Celtics only got one true first in this trade.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks was asked if the 76ers got Jaylen Brown for free, and he replied “essentially’ on the Hoop Collective podcast. The pick was the price of taking on PG’s contract, so all Boston really got was a swap and two seconds for Brown.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Celtics gave one of the 15 best players in the NBA to the rival 76ers, while letting their foe get out of one of the worst contracts in the league.
If Brad Stevens secured a mountain of draft capital or a budding star like VJ Edgecombe, fans might be able to accept this trade. None of that happened. Instead, the Celtics got worse, weighed down their books with an awful contract, and got less draft pick compensation in return than the Lakers gave up for Walker Kessler.
This was a gut punch because Brown is a winner. Since he was drafted in 2016, the Celtics have won a championship, reached the NBA Finals twice, played in seven conference finals, and never missed the playoffs. JB wasn’t just a small part of that success. He made five All-Star appearances, twice earned second-team All-NBA honors, and averaged 20 points per game over the decade.
This trade will never make sense. Boston didn’t get back a couple draft picks and an overpaid former star for a role player that can easily be replaced. They gave up Jaylen Brown. An elite scorer and Finals MVP was dumped for virtually free. Let that sink in. This was a disastrous trade that will only age worse for Boston.
The Boston Celtics might have just made the worst move of the offseason by trading Jaylen Brown to the rival 76ers. They got an embarrassing return and upset their entire fan base. The front office felt like they had to move on from Brown, but this trade wasn’t the right answer.
It’s done now. All fans can do is hope Stevens architects a true contender around Jayson Tatum in the aftermath. That is easier said than done, especially after the head-scratching return from this trade.
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