It was fun while it lasted. Years of patient team-building, fierce loyalty, and difficult decisions led the Boston Celtics to their most fruitful chapter since the 1980s. Since the new ownership group took over, however, a systematic dismantling of what made the Celtics great has taken hold.
With the baffling decision to trade Jaylen Brown for a long-term return, Boston has put the finishing touches on a self destruction that needs to be studied.
Between 2016 and 2025, the Celtics were the most consistently great team in the Eastern Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers had higher peaks, but Boston's success lasted the entire near decade—and Brown and Jayson Tatum were at the heart of that glory.
Unfortunately, the Celtics' dismantling of those glorious teams and the identity they held true to reached its bitter end when they traded Brown to the rival Philadelphia 76ers.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Brown and the Celtics were at odds, and the future first-round draft picks could prove beneficial, but the end of an era has officially and painfully arrived.
Celtics complete the deconstruction of the team and identity that won
Boston reached the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals and never looked back. Brown was just a rookie at the time, but a year later, he and first-year forward Jayson Tatum led the team in scoring during the 2018 NBA Playoffs and led the franchise to another trip to the Conference Finals.
Boston would ultimately win a title, reach the NBA Finals twice, and make six Conference Finals appearances during Brown's 10 seasons with the franchise.
Unfortunately, the peak of his success coincided with a change in ownership and the Celtics beginning to abandon what's worked. In 2023-24, Boston won its first title in 16 years with five All-Stars leading the charge. Beyond the star power, however, was a clear vision.
The Celtics had top-tier defenders who could create some level of offense at every position, with size to throw at point guards, rim protectors and switchable options down low, quality reserves, and Brown and Tatum tying it all together.
Unfortunately, the title-winning team was broken up for financial reasons just one year later. And just two years after hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Celtics are a shell of their former selves. Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis are gone, and Boston has made a rare few investments in high-level talent to replace them. The emphasis placed on elite depth and two-way balance has instead been replaced by investments in project players and reclamation projects.
By trading Brown, the Celtics have put the finishing touches on abandoning what worked—and they've done so in the prime of his and Tatum's careers. A baffling self destruction is complete.
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