Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Boston Celtics will send star forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for veteran Paul George in a blockbuster NBA trade, ESPN reported Wednesday. Boston will also receive two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks in the deal. The news emerged on the first full day of the NBA’s free agency negotiating period.
But Brown had been the subject of trade speculation for weeks, notably as part of a package aimed at acquiring Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finally landed with the Miami Heat. The 76ers seemed unlikely contenders to make a deal for Brown just two months after eliminating the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
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The 29-year-old Brown reached the playoffs in each of his 10 seasons in Boston, including six appearances in the Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals appearances. Brown, the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in the Celtics’ 2024 championship run, is coming off the best individual season of his career. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game in 2025-26 as the Celtics claimed the second seed in the Eastern Conference. His outstanding play saw the Celtics defy predictions they would tread water with Jayson Tatum sidelined as he recovered from an Achilles injury.
But Boston squandered a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series against the Sixers, falling in seven games. As trade speculation swirled around Brown, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had said last month that Brown was “a big part” of the team. “He’s been amazing,” Stevens said. “He’s been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around. And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires, or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship, an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future.”
After teaming with Tatum for nine seasons in a spectacularly successful star duo, Brown will now join forces with 76ers veteran Joel Embiid and rising talents VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey. Brown has been critical of Embiid in the past, notably accusing the Sixers big man of “flopping” in the wake of the Celtics’ playoff exit. “Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. [But he] flops. He know it,” Brown said during a Twitch stream. “This ain’t breaking news. It is what it is.”
© 2024 AFP
