Celtics trade Jaylen Brown to 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks
In a seismic, franchise-altering move, the Celtics on Wednesday agreed to trade franchise cornerstone Jaylen Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, to the rival 76ers in exchange for veteran forward Paul George, 2028 and 2031 first-round picks, and two future second-round picks, according to multiple league sources.
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It marks the sudden end to the Boston tenure of Brown, who finished sixth in MVP voting this past season and will ultimately be remembered as one of the best players in franchise history.
Last month, the Celtics aggressively pursued a trade for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brown was the centerpiece of their offer. Milwaukee ultimately chose to send Antetokounmpo to the Heat for a package centered on young players and draft picks.
After the first round of last Tuesday’s NBA Draft, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens fielded numerous questions about Brown’s status with the team moving forward, and he consistently stopped short of saying that he expected Brown to be a Celtic next season.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said then. “I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? Obviously, you never know. But at the same time, I think the one thing that I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate. Great person to be around. Whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship and an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team.”
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In the following days, league sources said the Celtics continued trade discussions involving Brown, with a deal appearing inevitable. A league source said that Brown, who led the Celtics to 56 wins this season with Jayson Tatum sidelined for most of the year following an Achilles injury, grew frustrated with the Celtics’ approach, and was simply seeking a resolution.
Now, he will join one of Boston’s biggest rivals.
George, 36, has two years remaining on his four-year, $211 million contract. He will make $54.1 million next season and has a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28. Last season he averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, and he helped the seventh-seeded 76ers erase a 3-1 series deficit and upset the second-seeded Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
Brown, meanwhile, was eligible to sign a two-year, $72 million extension this fall.
This is the latest massive move of Stevens, who has shown a willingness to make daring plays since assuming this post following Danny Ainge’s departure in 2021, including his 2023 trade of fan favorite Marcus Smart that brought in center Kristaps Porzingis.
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