The Boston Celtics have been all over the place to start the offseason. After failing to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics turned around and proceeded to unload their own superstar player, Jaylen Brown, in a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
There are a lot of reasons why this is such a surprising trade. It was shocking to see Brown finally get dealt after years of rumors, and the return, which featured Paul George and a handful of draft picks, was unexpectedly minimal. However, seeing the C’s send Brown to a longtime Eastern Conference rival was also stunning, and it appears that point is what the 2024 NBA Finals MVP is struggling to get past.
Jaylen Brown on Celtics-Sixers Trade — ‘Why Would You Do That?’
Brown’s best individual season of his NBA career (28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.1 APG, 47.7 FG%) wasn’t enough to prevent his name from popping up in trade rumors once again this offseason. After the C’s missed out on Antetokounmpo, that left the team in a weird spot with Brown. While the two sides could have mended fences, that never seemed inherently likely to happen.
Sure enough, Brown finally got traded, but to a team no one expected, as the Sixers emerged from out of nowhere to bring him to town. Brown will now join a team that also features superstar-caliber talents, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, which makes this deal tougher to swallow for Boston and its fanbase. The 76ers just eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs, and now, they have one of the team’s franchise legends playing for them.
While Brown is no longer in Boston, the fact that he’s playing for Philly means that he will still see plenty of his former team moving forward. Again, there are a lot of different angles or narratives surrounding this trade, but in Brown’s eyes, he doesn’t know why the C’s would dump him off to one of their top rivals for a less-than-stellar return.
“I got no idea what it’s gonna feel like,” Brown recently said when discussing the trade. “It’s probably gonna feel a bit weird. It’s still weird now. My brain is like, ‘Philly? Of all places. Why would you do that?'”
Jaylen Brown Could Immediately Make Celtics Pay for Bold Trade Decision
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 10: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts after being called for a foul during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the TD Garden on April 10, 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Boston’s justification for trading Brown is that it wants more flexibility moving forward. That’s why getting out of Brown’s contract (which also would have seen him be due for an extension in July) and swapping it for George’s contract is seen as a plus by the team, even though the latter’s is just as expensive as Brown’s. The key difference is that it runs for a shorter term.
Adding some draft picks is a win, too, but in the immediate future, Brown is going to be intent on proving the Celtics wrong for their decision to trade him. It’d be one thing if they flipped him to a Western Conference team, but the C’s face the Sixers frequently every single year. If Brown finds his footing with his new team immediately, that could make this trade even more difficult for Boston’s brass to justify moving forward.
Jaylen Brown Throws Shade at Celtics After Blockbuster Sixers Trade