The Boston Celtics didn’t enter negotiations intending to trade Jaylen Brown for the package they ultimately accepted.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, Boston initially set an enormous asking price for the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, demanding far more than what it eventually received from the Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday’s blockbuster trade.
Speaking on SportsCenter, Charania revealed the Celtics’ opening stance in talks with Philadelphia was designed to reflect Brown’s status as one of the NBA’s premier two-way stars.
“The Celtics had such a high bar on a deal,” Charania said. “They were thinking, if you’re going to trade us Paul George, we need four firsts, five firsts. We need a player like VJ Edgecombe. That was the bar that was set early.”
Instead, Boston ultimately agreed to send Brown to Philadelphia for George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
Sixers Never Walked Away
GettyVJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket while guarded by Jaylen Brown.
According to Charania, persistence proved to be Philadelphia’s biggest advantage.
While other teams reportedly cooled on discussions because of Boston’s steep asking price, the 76ers remained engaged throughout the process.
“There were other teams around the league that might have stopped conversations or moved on to do other deals,” Charania said. “But the Sixers stayed with it, stayed around, stayed at the party. They didn’t have an Irish goodbye. They didn’t leave early. They stuck around and at the end of it they were the last team standing.”
Charania credited new 76ers president Mike Gansey for continuing negotiations over several weeks despite Boston’s demands.
That patience eventually paid off when the Celtics lowered their expectations and completed one of the offseason’s biggest trades.
Celtics’ High Asking Price Reflected Brown’s Value
Getty Former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown did not ask for a trade, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Celtics’ initial demands underscored how highly the organization valued Brown, even as it quietly explored moving him.
Brown is coming off arguably the finest season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while earning All-NBA Second Team honors.
He also entered the offseason with three years remaining on his contract and, according to Charania, never requested a trade.
Yet Boston still shopped him aggressively around the league.
Charania said the Celtics viewed Brown as either the centerpiece in a blockbuster for another superstar—such as Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this offseason—or as a player worthy of an overwhelming collection of young talent and draft assets.
Trade Value Changed as Process Continued
Charania said Boston’s approach ultimately worked against the franchise.
The Celtics previously offered Brown in a proposed Kevin Durant trade in 2022 and later included him in discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks for Antetokounmpo before Giannis was ultimately dealt to the Miami Heat.
Once Boston broadened its search for a trade partner in recent weeks, league executives recognized the organization was determined to move Brown.
“When you shop a player the way they shopped him around the league, the word gets around,” Charania said. “Teams felt like the Celtics were yearning to make a deal.”
Charania added that Boston’s prolonged efforts to trade Brown ultimately hurt his value around the league.
“They set the bar so high in these talks. Teams just did not meet that price,” Charania said. “At the end of the day, it did hurt his trade value.”
The final package—Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round selections—fell well short of Boston’s original request of George, rookie VJ Edgecombe and four or five first-round picks.
It also offered fresh insight into why the blockbuster unfolded the way it did.
The Celtics began negotiations seeking a franchise-altering haul for one of the NBA’s best wings.
In the end, after weeks of negotiations and a shrinking market, they settled for considerably less.
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