The Philadelphia 76ers were pretty wisely praised in July when they turned Paul George into Jaylen Brown.
Yes, the Sixers had to send picks to the Boston Celtics in the trade, too, but it felt like a clear on-court upgrade for Philadelphia.
Given the difference in age between the two star wings, that will likely be true in the long run.
But something surprising has happened since the deal, too — George has looked better than anyone would’ve expected in Boston.
He had that 36-point outburst to open the season, but across the board so far, PG-13 is putting up better numbers with the Celtics this season than he did with the 76ers last season.
Paul George From 76ers to Celtics
It’s quite fascinating to check out George’s numbers last season and then see what he has done through four games with Boston.
And yes, it’s a small sample size, but it still feels notable.
A year ago, George shot 43.9% from the floor. He’s currently shooting 47.0% for the Celtics.
Last season, George was at 39.2% from 3-point range. He’s at 43.8% this year for Boston — better than both his seasons in Philly.
George’s rebounding average is currently 6.0 per game, better than he’s been since 2022-23 with the Clippers.
His 3.5 assists per game is the one spot George has declined just a bit from his two 76ers seasons (4.3, 3.6).
George is averaging 2.3 steals per game, which would be a career-high — and yes, that stat is incredibly impacted by the small sample of games so far.
And George is averaging 22.3 points per game right now. That’s ahead of his 17.3 from last year or his 16.2 from two seasons ago in Philadelphia.
George’s 76ers career never really got fully off the ground. Injuries limited him to 41 games in 2024-25 and 37 games in 2025-26.
The Celtics have to love seeing George healthy and finding his groove at the moment, and they’ll have to hope it can stay that way.
Jaylen Brown Comparison
Brown’s scoring average through four games with the 76ers, on the flip side, is 20.8 — he hasn’t been that low since 2019-20.
His 4.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game are both lower than he was last season, too — although to be fair, last season he was doing all the shooting in Boston with Jayson Tatum out.
The 76ers have to be encouraged that Brown is making 42.1% of his 3-pointers in the early going, which would be a career-high if he keeps it up.
It’s a long season ahead, and Brown will be in Philadelphia longer term, too. He can certainly make sure this deal is a win for the 76ers. George has just gotten off to a really solid start for the Celtics.
76ers’ Paul George Trade Helping Celtics More Than Expected