The Boston Celtics have been rumored to be entertaining offers for Jaylen Brown. This happened after they offered him up for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That trade didn’t go through, so Brown clearly no longer felt wanted in Boston.
Teams started sending offers to the Celtics for Brown. After the NBA Draft, those offers started coming fast and furious. Instead of keeping Brown for next season, they have now shipped him to a conference and division rival. Jaylen Brown has now been traded to the 76ers.
The Celtics got back an interesting package for Brown, but not one anyone thought was coming.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers forward Paul George drives the ball in a game against the Celtics. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown to 76ers
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics are sending Brown to Philly in return for Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick that could convert from a first to a swap that is more favorable to Boston, a 2031 unprotected Philadelphia first, and two second-round picks.
This is a shocking trade that no one saw coming. Brown is coming off the best season of his career. Clearly, the Celtics did not want to keep his contract on the books, so they decided to move off him. It’s surprising they weren’t able to get a better player in return.
With Philly sending George to Boston, it’s clear that the Celtics just want to have more cap flexibility. George is also on a max salary, but his is less than Brown’s. Boston must view those first-round picks as the prizes in this trade. George did play well late in the regular season.
George had to serve a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. When he did play, he averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He shot just under 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, which does fit Boston’s style of play.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers forward Paul George dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Boston is Betting Big on the Rest of its Core
With this trade, it’s clear that the Celtics are betting big on the rest of their core. That means they are convinced that Jayson Tatum is going to be fully healthy next season and will be even better. Tatum should be fully healthy to start the year, but the rest of the team needs to be able to pick up the slack.
With Brown gone, George suddenly becomes the second-best player on the roster. Either George or Derrick White will become the player who will have to be the new second fiddle. Boston is still expecting to compete for a championship next season, but they must do it without a proven player in Brown.
It’s clear that Bill Chisholm wants to stay out of either apron of the luxury tax. This move clearly signals that he does not want to overspend for any reason. That could mean that they are going to struggle against other teams who have opened their pocketbooks.
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