Celtics Panicked In Jaylen Brown Trade To Sixers

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 02: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second quarter of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on May 02, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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Usually, the Boston Celtics competed to remain the top franchise in NBA championships. This time, the Celtics competed for the worst trade in NBA history.

The Celtics dealt Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031) and two second-round selections (2028, 2030), a sentence that seems inexplicable and inexcusable with every word.

Boston dealt Brown? Why? Because he claimed on a Twitch stream that the NBA had an agenda against him? Because he called the 2025-26 campaign his “favorite season” despite losing in the second round two years after winning an NBA title? Because he became upset that the Celtics offered him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Because Brown may struggle sharing the limelight with Jayson Tatum after enjoying life as the No. 1 option last season during his injury? None of these reasons make sense

The Celtics acquired George instead? Why? Ever since his departure with the Indiana Pacers, George has become consistently inconsistent amid stops with Oklahoma City, the Clippers and the Sixers. He can’t stay healthy. He shrinks in big moments. He may become adaptable as a secondary option, but that’s because he doesn’t want the pressure and the accountability that comes with a heightened role.

The Celtics also dealt draft picks? Why? Brown sparked healthy debate when he called himself “the best two-way player in the world,” but there is no debate that he is a better two-way player than George. There’s no need to sweeten a deal with draft capital when trading just for George is already lopsided enough.

It seems hard to imagine this is possible. But the Celtics’ latest deal for George makes the Clippers original deal for George a lot more respectable. In 2019, the Clippers acquired George from the Thunder by trading a future two-time MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), a valued rotation player (Danilo Gallinari), three first-round picks (2022, 2024, 2025) and two first-round swaps (2023, 2025). In fairness, the Clippers made the deal at the time because Kawhi Leonard indicated he would only leave Toronto if George left OKC and joined him. Then, Leonard just led the Raptors to a 2019 NBA championship and showed he could manage his injuries just fine. Then, George still was considered a perennial All-Star. Then, Gilgeous-Alexander remained years away from blossoming into one of the league’s best scorers. Then, the Clippers willingly expended their draft capital in hopes to open a championship window.

In the Celtics case, they just shut that championship window completely. They will still have a healthy Tatum. They still will have a do-it-all guard in Derrick White. They still have a respectable supporting cast. But they don’t have Brown, who has shown that he can become the team’s best scorer, playmaker or defender on any given night. Instead they have George, who has shown that he can play like a star or a liability on any given night. To hell with what the analytics say. Brown has become one of the best NBA players, period.

None of this makes any sense.

The Celtics have resisted pressure to break up Tatum and Brown because they have proven with time that they can co-exist and complement each other’s games. Brown and the Celtics have gotten over other offseasons and trade deadlines when the Celtics included Brown in trade discussions. Brown remains outspoken on literally every topic, but he has never established a track record of deliberately undermining the team. The Celtics have made tough decisions before, including deal Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to duck below the second apron. But they have always remained deliberate. This time, though, the Celtics made a panic move that gives the Sixers a chance to challenge the Knicks as an Eastern Conference contender.

Brown has talked trash about Sixers center Joel Embiid and has accused him of flopping. Here’s a guess that both players will laugh it off and bond over their competitive spirit. Brown and Tyrese Maxey will have to figure out how they can thrive together as scorers and passers. Here’s a guess that they will figure it out organically because they both have strong fundamentals and want to impact winning. Brown has said things that may have irked the Celtics. Here’s a guess that he will bother them even more with revenge games in multiple regular-season matchups and playoff series.

The Celtics may suggest that their relationship with Brown became so untenable. Hence, they had to trade him. That doesn’t seem believable.

Brown speaks his mind, but it’s usually on issues involving social justice topics and media criticism. Brown may have ruffled feathers by calling the Celtics’ recent campaign his best season a day after they squandered a 3-1 second-round series lead to Philadelphia. Brown likely felt that way because he finished in career-highs in points (28.7), rebounds (6.9) and assists (5.1). Brown also finished 6^th in NBA MVP voting. Most importantly, the Celtics secured a No. 2 seed when projected a gap year because of Tatum’s Achilles injury and key offseason departures (Holiday, Porzingis).

Brown wasn’t diminishing his NBA championship or Finals MVP performance. He was highlighting how he and the Celtics overcame expectations. If anything, Brown seemed motivated to build off of that group with a healthier Tatum and a more developed supporting cast.

Instead, the Celtics will fall in infamy. Instead of having a shot to win their 18^th NBA championship next season and beyond, the Celtics have set themselves back next season and beyond as a second-tier playoff team and possibly even worse.