Jaylen Brown has no intention of letting allegations about his departure from the Boston Celtics follow him to Philadelphia.
The former Celtics star fired back at Brian Scalabrine on Wednesday night, denying the former Boston forward and current television analyst’s claims that he demanded a trade and presented the organization with a list of ultimatums.
Brown addressed the controversy after recording 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 114-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
“I saw Scal made some comments. Never had any issues with Scal. I love Scal, but I guess he’s doing what he has to do,” Brown said, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
“I have no interest in letting any false allegations follow me into my next chapter here in Philadelphia.”
Jaylen Brown Denies Brian Scalabrine’s Trade Allegations
The controversy began Monday when Scalabrine claimed on SiriusXM NBA Radio that Brown had approached Boston with several demands before the franchise traded him to Philadelphia.
Scalabrine alleged that Brown wanted the Celtics to meet those conditions or trade him, preferably to the Milwaukee Bucks.
He also claimed Brown had contacted teammates about potentially joining him in Milwaukee.
Brown rejected that account Wednesday.
“Never, never demanded a trade. Never made a list of ultimatums,” Brown said.
A representative for Brown had previously told ESPN the allegations were “10000% a lie.”
According to that representative, Brown only requested input on his destination after Boston informed him that he would be traded.
Scalabrine subsequently clarified his original comments, acknowledging that Brown had not technically demanded a trade.
He nevertheless maintained that Brown had presented conditions to the organization, although he admitted he did not know the specifics.
Scalabrine Takes Aim at Brown’s Jayson Tatum Comments
The tension between Brown and Scalabrine extends beyond the disputed trade allegations.
Brown had previously questioned Tatum’s assertion that he was surprised by the trade, responding to a social media clip with a cap emoji.
After Philadelphia’s victory over Milwaukee on Saturday, Brown insisted there was no serious feud between the former teammates, although his comments suggested otherwise.
“He’s got a great PR team,” Brown said of Tatum. “There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.”
Scalabrine seized on those remarks during Boston’s next two games.
During Monday’s victory over Chicago, he joked that Tatum “must have some meatballs and marinara going on with the Bulls.”
The following night, Scalabrine took another swipe during the Celtics’ overtime victory against Brooklyn.
“If I was doing PR work for Jayson Tatum, I would remind everybody who led the league in turnovers last year,” Scalabrine said.
The remark was an apparent reference to Brown, who committed an NBA-high 259 turnovers during the 2025-26 season.
Scalabrine also accused Brown of wanting to portray himself as a victim during Tuesday’s appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
By Wednesday night, Brown had decided to respond publicly, denying that he ever demanded a trade or presented Boston with ultimatums.
Brown Wants to Focus on His 76ers Future
Brown’s departure ended a decade in Boston that included a championship, multiple Eastern Conference finals appearances and the 2024 NBA Finals MVP award.
The Celtics traded him to Philadelphia in July in a deal involving Paul George and draft compensation.
Questions about his relationship with Tatum have persisted since the move.
But Brown made clear Wednesday that he would rather concentrate on his new opportunity.
“As of now, I’m gonna just stay focused on what’s in front of me here in Philadelphia,” Brown said.
“I got a tremendous opportunity, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Brown also indicated he would leave further questions about the situation for another time during the season.
The Celtics and 76ers will meet Nov. 10 in Philadelphia, giving Brown his first regular-season matchup against his former team.
Until then, the public disagreement has another wrinkle: Scalabrine has questioned Brown’s account of his departure, and Brown has now rejected those claims himself.
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