It’s been almost two weeks since the Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. While sections of the fanbase have found ways to cope with or justify the front office’s decision to trade Brown for a 36-year-old Paul George and four picks, the rest of us aren’t having as much fun.
While the deal doesn’t seal a trip back to the dark ages for Boston, it still doesn’t feel great. Everyone is wondering why the Celtics didn’t wait longer to agree to the terms in hopes of finding a better offer.
Kawhi Leonard’s name was thrown around, at least in hypothetical “this works in the trade machine” type deals, by fans in the weeks when Brown’s name was headlining trade rumors. As disappointing as the actual return for JB was, Celtics fans should be glad the team has their hands clean of any involvement with Leonard.
According to The Athletic, the NBA is launching a second investigation into the allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers and Aspiration colluded to circumvent the salary cap and add extra outside earnings to the star forward’s contract.
Leonard, of course, was dealt to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a swap, and two second-round picks -- or at least he will be whenever he’s cleared of any wrongdoing.
Celtics could've found themselves in a conundrum if they traded for Kawhi
The Raptors don’t expect that they’ll be any severe penalties, according to Mike Vorkunov.
If the NBA were to find Leonard and the Clippers guilty of any wrongdoing, ESPN’s Shams Charania shared that the repercussions could be rather harsh.
“The absolute worst is Kawhi Leonard’s contract being voided, or him being suspended for a significant period of time,” Charania said during a guest appearance on the Shump Street podcast. “Whether it’s 40/20 games or entire season.. it all comes down to the evidence and what’s found in the investigation. Is there proof Kawhi Leonard had participation in this? To my knowledge he has denied all of that.”
Trading Brown for Leonard, and then having the deal completely fall apart may have been a worse reality than what Celtics fans are currently facing. The Cs still got some intriguing draft capital, with the 2028 complicated pick swap serving as the headliner. Plus, the 2031 76ers pick could wind up being valuable considering that Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe will all need new contracts after the 2028-29 season.
It won’t be easy to appease all four stars.
Leonard is a better player than George is, but if he can’t be on the court what does it matter?
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