Morning Sports Update
“There’s no way rationally you can think that’s a good trade.”
Charles Barkley in 2024. Andrew Burke-Stevenson for The Boston Globe
July 8, 2026 | 10:51 AM
3 minutes to read
Charles Barkley’s take on the Jaylen Brown trade: Though he’s one of the central pundits of the NBA, Charles Barkley was blindsided by the Celtics‘ decision to trade Jaylen Brown just like everyone else in the basketball world.
Speaking on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s “Unfiltered,” Barkley weighed in on the Brown trade to the 76ers. Initially, he recalled doubting the veracity of the news reports he saw.
“This can’t be a true story. There’s so much fake stuff on the internet. Now I’m like, ‘No, they didn’t trade him to the Sixers,’” Barkley recalled. “Number one, you’re like wow, secondly you’re like, ‘Well what [did] they give up?’ They gave up Paul George and some draft picks.
“I said, ‘Man the Sixers just got away with murder,’” Barkley noted.
His reaction mirrors much of what experts have said about Boston’s bold decision to send Brown to a conference rival.
Barkley, who played for the 76ers for eight seasons at the start of his NBA career, thinks the acquisition of Brown has revitalized the franchise.
“They were dead in the water to be honest with you, because with Paul’s contract and Joel [Embiid’s] inability to stay healthy, they were going to be out the running for the next or four or five years. And now all of sudden they’re a legit contender,” he predicted.
As for Boston, he was at a loss to explain the circumstances.
“I’ve obviously heard everyone’s opinion,” Barkley said. “I’m not sure what the hell the Celtics were doing. There’s no way rationally you can think that’s a good trade. Giving up an aging guy to a guy who just probably was the MVP the first half of the season. It’s crazy.”
Trivia: Charles Barkley was drafted fifth overall by the 76ers in 1984. Two other Hall of Famers were selected before him in that draft. Can you name them?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Hint: One went first overall; the other third.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox defeated the White Sox 8-1 on Tuesday. The two teams play again this evening in Chicago at 7:40 p.m.
Argentina and Switzerland became the final teams to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday. Today, for the first time since the tournament began, there are no games.
More from Boston.com:
Mike Conley Jr. is in the building: The former 2007 draft pick is set to begin his 20th year in the league.
Folarin Balogun’s post-World Cup message: Caught in the middle of a pre-game controversy, the U.S. forward won plaudits for his handling of the situation. He apologized to fans for the manner of the American defeat in the Round of 16.
My debut World Cup… it hurts to wait 4 years to compete at the highest level our sport has to offer. I want to say sorry to our fans it was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down
Soccer in America will only become bigger the belief, the talent, and the… pic.twitter.com/Wgk4bnpunV
— Balogun (@balogun) July 8, 2026
On this day: In 2010, LeBron James made “The Decision” on live television, announcing his intention to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and sign for the Miami Heat in free agency.
Daily highlight: Less of a highlight than a bizarre play, but this was a strange sequence in the eventual Red Sox win on Tuesday.
Trivia answer: Hakeem Olajuwon; Michael Jordan
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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