DHJ Quick Take: Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown to 76ers for Paul George, Four Picks
Boston is moving on from Jaylen Brown after a decade, sending him to Philadelphia for Paul George and four draft picks in one of NBA free agency’s biggest trades.
- What did each team receive? The 76ers get Brown; the Celtics get George, an unprotected 2031 Philadelphia first, a 2028 first that can convert to a favorable swap, and two seconds (2028, 2030).
- Why did the Celtics move on from Brown? Boston’s pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo fell through, and the front office chose to retool around Jayson Tatum with draft capital instead of running it back with Brown.
- How does this change Philadelphia’s roster? Brown joins Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form a new top three, replacing George’s injury-prone track record with a younger, healthier scoring wing.
- What’s next? The trade requires physicals and formal league approval before becoming official, with both franchises expected to continue reshaping their rosters through the rest of free agency.
The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, Dallas Hoops Journal has learned.
The move ends Brown’s 10-season run in Boston, one that included an NBA championship and, this past season, the best individual stretch of his career. With Jayson Tatum sidelined for the start of 2025-26 while recovering from an Achilles injury, Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games, shooting 10.4-of-21.7 from the field (47.7%), 2.0-of-5.7 from 3-point range (34.7%) and 6.0-of-7.5 at the foul line (79.5%). The production helped carry the Celtics to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston’s season ended in the first round, however, with a loss to Philadelphia.
What Pushed the Boston Celtics to Make the Move
The trade comes days after Brown reportedly served as a centerpiece of a Celtics package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, a deal that fell apart when the Milwaukee Bucks instead sent Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. Boston had also floated Brown in talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves around the 2026 NBA Draft, but Minnesota opted to trade for LaMelo Ball instead.
Brown has been a subject of trade speculation before. Boston nearly included him in a package for Kevin Durant in 2022 before that deal collapsed, and Brown went on to sign a five-year, $285 million extension to stay with the Celtics. Regardless, the front office ultimately decided to reshape the roster around Tatum rather than retain Brown, even after the Antetokounmpo pursuit fell through.
Growing rumblings out of Boston pointed to dissatisfaction from Brown late in the regular season, though a formal trade request is not believed to have been made, Dallas Hoops Journal has learned. Multiple people within the organization took notice when Brown described the 2025-26 campaign as his favorite season of his career and perceived the comment as a subtle shot at Tatum. That reaction contributed to the front office’s determination that it was time to move on from Brown.
After Brown was pulled into the Antetokounmpo talks, a growing sense set in around the league that the Celtics needed to move on from him, a dynamic reflected in the return Boston ultimately accepted. The Celtics did not land the Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round picks, which were widely regarded around the league as the more valuable trade chips on the market.
Jaylen Brown Slots Alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey
The 76ers add Brown to a core that now includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, giving Philadelphia a fourth proven scorer and replacing George’s extensive injury history with a younger, healthier wing. Brown joining the 76ers also creates an immediate question about touches and shot creation alongside Maxey, who has spent the past year growing into a lead ball-handling role. Philadelphia also added forward Dean Wade in free agency this week, further reshaping the roster around Embiid, Maxey and Brown.
For Boston, George’s max salary carries its own injury risk, but the four draft picks give the Celtics flexibility to retool around Tatum as he continues recovering from his Achilles injury.
Unprotected 2031 First Highlights Boston’s Return
Dallas Hoops Journal has learned additional specifics on the pick compensation heading to the Celtics. Boston’s return includes a 2028 first-round pick that can convert from a standalone selection into a swap more favorable to the Celtics, along with an unprotected 2031 first-round pick from Philadelphia. The second-round compensation consists of a 2028 pick, the most favorable of selections owed to Philadelphia by Golden State, Oklahoma City or Milwaukee, and a 2030 pick, the most favorable of selections owed to Philadelphia by Washington, Portland or Phoenix.
The structure gives Boston multiple avenues to accumulate future assets rather than banking on a single outcome, with the 2031 Philadelphia first standing out as the most valuable piece given it carries no protections.
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