The Boston Celtics made some of the most surprising moves of the offseason. They decided to trade Jaylen Brown for Paul George and some draft picks. Moving on from their second-best player was a shocking decision just a couple of years removed from a title.
George is an older player who comes in with a history of injuries. Adding two first-round picks is nice, but George is still getting paid an enormous amount of money. Moving him if things don’t work out will be tough to do. In fact, their trade assets got worse after this move.
One NBA writer gave them a middling grade in terms of trade assets because of this decision.
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown drives the ball in a game. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Celtics Given Middle-of-the-Road Ranking for Trade Assets
According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the Celtics have the 19th-best trade assets in the NBA. Bailey cites the trading of Brown as a big reason why they are ranked so low.
“The Boston Celtics already made a press-stopping trade when they unloaded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s hard to imagine them doing anything else too dramatic between now and the deadline. But that Philadelphia first in 2031 could be pretty valuable, especially if paired with plug-and-play guard Derrick White. That’s a potential path to a second star, but Boston already pivoted away from that philosophy. They’re likely in their final 2026-27 form (or close to it),” Bailey writes.
Boston has five first-round picks to trade, as well as potentially adding two other first-rounders. Those picks alone will afford them some flexibility in the next few years. However, the contract situation with their current players makes it hard to swap one-for-one.
Adding George gives them a much worse trade asset. He is still owed more than $110 million in each of the next two seasons. Combine that with the fact that he has played just 78 games in the last two years combined, and that makes him borderline impossible to move again.
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum reacts during a game. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Boston Is Confident in its Future
Despite trading their second-best player, the Celtics feel confident about the direction they are going in. Brad Stevens cited the fact that Brown made a ton of money as a reason they moved on from him. He didn’t want the team to be hamstrung when it comes to the second apron.
Yet, this puts a lot of pressure on young players to develop at a faster rate. Payton Pritchard will have to take a larger load. Neemias Queta will need to improve on the offensive end, as well. They still don’t have a good answer for who will be taking Brown’s spot in the starting lineup, either.
Last season, the Celtics had the second-best offense in the league. They will be hard-pressed to keep that level of play next year without one of their best shot-creators. Tatum will have to be flawless in order to keep that stat up.
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