When the Boston Celtics opted to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, they likely knew it would be a controversial decision.
After all, they were sending one of their best players to a direct rival. The same rival that had just eliminated them in the opening round of the playoffs. However, it’s unlikely that Boston could have envisioned Brown’s trade being a potential catalyst for LeBron James also moving to the Sixers as a free agent.
According to Kendrick Perkins, if the Sixers do win a title with both LeBron and Brown on the roster, it’s going to leave a lasting stain on the Celtics’ legacy.
“Every time I think of someone making these comments, and talking about the 76ers and that they could possibly go on and win the championship, I always have to think about the Boston Celtics and Brad Stevens,” Perkins said in a recent episode of ESPN’s NBA Today.
Perkins continued.
“…If the 76ers go on to win the NBA championship with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, it will stain the Boston Celtics forever. For the rest of NBA history, this will go down as arguably the decision, like the decision for LeBron James.”
Celtics fans will undoubtedly have their own thoughts on this topic. Some may agree with Perkins, and some won’t. However, we can expect this to be a talking point throughout the upcoming season.
Bill Simmons Shares Thoughts On Brown Trade
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Bill Simmons shared his thoughts on Stevens’ decision to part with Brown in return for Paul George and future draft assets.
“I think one of the reasons they made the trade is they felt like he might be a better fit at this point in Tatum’s career,” Simmons said. “Not saying I agree with that. As you guys know, I didn’t like the trade. But I think they were feeling like it was a better basketball fit. And, I think they wanted some of their other younger swings to play more.”
Still, you do have to wonder whether the Celtics still would have signed off on the deal, had they known it would have led to LeBron signing with Philadelphia afterward.
Former Celtics Forward Shut Down Narrative
Throughout their tenure with the Celtics, people have questioned Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s relationship. During a recent discussion on Sirius XM NBA Radio, former Celtic Grant Williams shut down any notion of the two All-Stars having friction between them.
“You can bring the best out of someone else beside you. …They had respect for one another; they enjoyed being around one another, and on the court as well. So that’s something I can vividly say is that I don’t think those guys (Tatum and Brown) dislike each other at all.”
Now that the trade is official, we can hopefully move past the narrative surrounding Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Of course, now all eyes will be on the Sixers and whether they can win a championship. If they do, the Celtics may have some fresh new questions to answer.
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