Former NBA champion P.J. Tucker disagrees with the widespread notion that the Boston Celtics got the short end of the stick when they traded a 29-year-old Jaylen Brown for a 36-year-old Paul George.
While addressing the controversial trade on the “Club 520″ podcast, Tucker explained why it’s premature to write off George as a winning player for the Celtics.
“If you look at the playoff series this year, PG might have had a better series than JB. So how does Philly win? I think it’s tough. I’m rocking with PG,” he said, via Kalshi Hoops.
Tucker added that he prefers a duo of Jayson Tatum and Paul George over any duo on the Philadelphia 76ers, and therefore will pick the Celtics to win out a playoff series.
“If you look at the playoffs series this year. PG might have had a better series than JB. So how does Philly win? I think it’s tough. I’m rocking with PG… I’m still liking JT and PG in a series. I like the
‘There’s Pressure on Jaylen Brown’
Tucker added that George was en route to a great season last year before being hit with a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug program.
“Like, I’m hating how everybody I mean, respect to JB, but PG is still a hell of a player.”
“If PG don’t get suspended and all that stuff don’t happen, then I think we having another conversation,” Tucker added.
Interestingly, Tucker feels Brown—who was extremely vocal both before and after the trade—will be under immense pressure to back up his words in a Sixers uniform. Unlike Brown, George will face less pressure as the clear-cut second option behind Tatum, allowing him to play more freely, Tucker added.
“There’s pressure on JB, yes it is,” Tucker stressed.
“Man, you’re going in there, there’s [Joel] Embiid, there’s [Tyrese] Maxey, you’re lowkey third to them,” added the former Milwaukee Bucks forward.
Unpopular Celtics Opinion
Not many analysts and former players share Tucker’s views.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green feels it’s ludicrious to claim that the Celtics and Sixers made an “evan swap” when Brown was a top-10 player in the league last year, while George was an ancillary piece for the Sixers.
“No disrespect to Paul George, but this isn’t an even swap,” Green said.
“I got a lot of love for PG. But like myself, PG is 36 years old. Not like myself. I’m going into year 15. I think PG is going into year 17. And Jaylen Brown, not even 30 years old. He’s 29 years old, and he’s going into year 11.
“So, and by the way, he won the Finals MVP two years ago. I think he just made the All-NBA second team this year. Was arguably controversially possibly could have been a first-team performer, but the votes are what they are. So it’s not an even swap.
“Like when you’re talking just player for player, it’s not… That’s no shot at PG.”
Celtics Won Jaylen Brown-Paul George Trade, Argues NBA Champion