Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Celtics star Jaylen Brown is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers in a stunning NBA trade that will send Paul George to Boston, ESPN reported on Wednesday. Boston will also receive two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks in a deal that will end Brown’s 10-year tenure with the club. The Celtics reached the playoffs in each of those 10 seasons, including six appearances in the Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals appearances. Brown was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in the Celtics’ 2024 championship run.
For nine of those seasons, he formed a potent star duo with Jayson Tatum. With Tatum sidelined for 66 games recovering from an Achilles injury last season, Brown kept the Celtics in contention. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game in 2025/26 as Boston claimed the second seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series against the 76ers, falling in seven games. Brown had recently been the subject of trade speculation—most notably as part of a package aimed at acquiring Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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After Antetokounmpo landed with the Miami Heat, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said that Brown was “a big part” of the team but added, “I don’t want to predict the future.” The 76ers will be hoping Brown’s arrival, to join veteran Joel Embiid and rising talents Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, will get them over the playoff hump. They have made the post-season in eight of the last nine years but haven’t gone beyond the second round.
The news emerged on the first full day of the NBA’s free agency negotiating period. No contracts can be officially signed until July 6, but reports of verbal agreements were already rife. Veteran forward Tobias Harris, who helped the Detroit Pistons build the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, is reportedly headed to the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent. Harris, who played a key role in Detroit’s turnaround over the past two seasons, will be joining the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs as they vie to return to the NBA Finals after falling to the New York Knicks in the championship series.
Additionally, the ultimate destination of superstar LeBron James remained a focus of speculation after the NBA’s all-time leading scorer told the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday he would leave after eight seasons with the team and seek a free agent contract to play an unprecedented 24th season elsewhere. As pundits pondered the pros and cons of possible James destinations—including his former teams Cleveland and Miami or a move to play with Stephen Curry at Golden State—the Lakers made a flurry of moves as they build around 27-year-old Slovenian star Luka Doncic.
These moves included the acquisition of 24-year-old shot-blocking center Walker Kessler in a trade with Utah for two first-round draft picks. Soon after news of the deal surfaced, the Lakers reportedly agreed terms with three free agents: big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes, and guard Colin Sexton. In other deals reported by multiple media outlets, the Celtics acquired free agent center Mitchell Robinson, who was fresh off a championship run with the New York Knicks. Free agent guard Norman Powell, who averaged 21.7 points per game in an All-Star season with Miami, is headed to the Chicago Bulls.
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