The Boston Celtics have done the unthinkable.
The team is trading star wing Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and a package of draft picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania:
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported details on the picks involved:
The Celtics were always expected to make some changes ahead of the 2025-26 season, with a bloated payroll that left them in the second apron of the luxury tax and Jayson Tatum set to miss the majority of the campaign due to a torn Achilles.
But it was Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis who were ultimately traded, freeing the Celtics from the restrictive second apron.
Trading Brown never previously seemed like a wise option. The 29-year-old is a four-time All-Star and two-way dynamo who was both the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP during the team’s championship season in 2023-24. And he was superb in the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game while leading Boston to a 56-26 record.
The argument has often been that Tatum is Boston’s best player, but Brown isn’t far behind, if at all.
For one, he’s entering the third year of his massive five-year, $285.3 million deal and is making $57 million in 2025-26. Trading him not only creates future cap space but also reorganizes the team around Tatum, perhaps providing the Celtics with more balance.
And once Brown was dangled in Giannis Antetokounmpo talks, it always seemed possible the Celtics may choose to shake things up around Tatum. There certainly seems to be the possibility that the relationship between Brown and the Celtics had strained.
Still, players like Brown can’t be found just anywhere, and having an elite duo at the wing position was incredibly valuable. There were a number of approaches Boston could have taken after a disappointing first-round exit against the 76ers, and there will be plenty of questions about the one they ultimately chose.
Boston, meanwhile, will land a player who is a nine-time All-Star himself.
However, the 36-year-old has battled injuries in recent seasons. He has appeared in more than 56 games just once in the past five seasons. He did not appear in more than 41 games in either of his two seasons in Philly.
Last season, he averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 37 contests, shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range. He was suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.
When he’s on the court, George can still be a productive player. The issue in recent years has been staying on the court.
For the 76ers, this provides Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid a new star to try to compete for a championship with. Meanwhile, the Celtics will have a chance to retool and see if they can bounce back from a disappointing exit in this year’s playoffs.
