Jaylen Brown has insisted there is nothing left to discuss with Jayson Tatum. As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, new reporting offers a possible explanation for that stance.
Brown apparently tried to have that conversation months ago.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the former Celtics teammates met privately in France in late June, with Brown seeking clarity about his future in Boston amid growing trade speculation.
The meeting came shortly after the Celtics unsuccessfully pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo, reportedly offering Brown in a package before the superstar landed with the Miami Heat.
Brown wanted to know where Tatum stood as their nine-year partnership faced an uncertain future.
But he apparently left without an answer.
Jaylen Brown Sought Clarity Before 76ers Trade
Charania revealed the previously unreported details during Tuesday’s live broadcast of ESPN’s “NBA Today.”
“My understanding is Jaylen Brown confronted and approached Tatum at a dinner to discuss their future as a duo and where Jayson Tatum stood on all of it,” Charania said.
Several people reportedly witnessed the exchange.
“It was described to me as a heart-to-heart between these two sides that multiple people witnessed in person,” Charania added.
Yet the discussion did not settle Brown’s concerns.
According to Charania, Brown left the conversation uncertain about whether he would remain in Boston.
Days later, the Celtics sent him to Philadelphia in the blockbuster trade that brought Paul George to Boston.
The two former teammates reportedly have not spoken since.
Andscape’s Marc J. Spears added another detail that complicates the narrative surrounding their separation.
Spears reported Tuesday that Tatum was in Las Vegas when news of the trade broke. After learning of the deal, Tatum called Brown, but the Sixers forward did not answer.
The unanswered call suggests Tatum attempted to reach out after the trade, even as questions persisted about what he knew beforehand.
Tatum has maintained that the trade surprised him.
Brown, however, appeared skeptical when he previously responded to his former teammate’s account with a baseball-cap emoji on social media.
Neither player has publicly explained what was said during their meeting in France.
Brown’s Celtics Reunion Carries Personal Stakes
The latest revelation gives additional context to Brown’s comments Sunday after Philadelphia’s 127-121 victory over Chicago.
Asked whether he intended to speak with Tatum before their reunion, Brown dismissed the possibility.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Brown told reporters. “He’s on his side; I’m on my side. Both of us are trying to win. Nothing to talk about. Check the ball up.”
Their partnership once represented Boston’s championship future.
Together, Brown and Tatum reached two NBA Finals and won the 2024 title, with Brown earning Finals MVP honors.
Now, Brown has an opportunity to face his former team from an entirely different position.
Philadelphia enters Tuesday at 9-2, leading the Eastern Conference. Boston follows closely at 8-2.
The Sixers have surrounded Brown with LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, giving him another opportunity to compete for a championship.
For Philadelphia, Tuesday’s game offers an early measure of its standing against an established rival.
For Brown, it may also be an opportunity to move beyond the uncertainty that followed him out of Boston.
He sought answers from Tatum before the trade.
On Tuesday, he’ll have an opportunity to answer his former team on the court.
76ers Star Jaylen Brown’s Final Meeting With Jayson Tatum Takes New Twist