Morning Sports Update
“I’m still in shock that Brad Stevens would make this deal.”
Jaylen Brown facing Paul George during the 2026 NBA playoffs. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
July 2, 2026 | 12:26 PM
4 minutes to read
Reacting to the Jaylen Brown trade: The basketball world spent much of Wednesday night grappling with one of the more shocking reported trades in recent history, as the Celtics sent Jaylen Brown to the rival 76ers for Paul George and four draft picks.
If confirmed, the deal will instantly become the definition of franchise-altering, and unsurprisingly drew strong reactions from all corners of the league.
Here’s a quick rundown of the reactions to the Jaylen Brown trade:
Current and former players
While most players (past and present) had yet to weigh in on the deal even by Thursday morning — perhaps still simply too stunned to produce an immediate reaction — a few shared their thoughts.
One of the most prominent (given his role as an ESPN analyst) was former Boston center Kendrick Perkins.
“This is a sad day for the Boston Celtics,” Perkins began. “As a former Celtic, I do not approve of this trade.”
Tyrese Maxey, set to be one of Brown’s teammates in Philadelphia, was predictably shocked:
The nba is doing that THING AGAIN!
— Tyrese Maxey (@TyreseMaxey) July 1, 2026
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart marveled at the drama of the Eastern Conference’s offseason:
The East offseason is crazy
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 1, 2026
Interestingly, one former player who didn’t immediately pan the deal from a Boston standpoint was Quentin Richardson (also with ESPN), who argued that after the Celtics decided that “they were going to move on from [Brown],” the return was actually alright.
“To be able to get two first rounds, two second rounds — and, listen, I know everybody may look however about PG, but the one thing that we got to know [is that] when he’s healthy, he’s still a big-time player.”
The flaw in Richardson’s position might be George’s recent record of durability (he played just 78 games in two seasons with the 76ers).
The wildest reactions probably (and predictably) came from local sports radio.
“Let me begin right here: I hate it,” thundered 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tony Massarotti.
“I can’t believe how bad this is,” said WEEI’s Christian Arcand.
WEEI’s Adam Jones and Justin Turpin later went into greater detail about how, inexplicably, the Celtics appear to have “gotten older, gotten worse, and created no financial flexibility.”
Zach Lowe of The Ringer noted that Boston has probably created an even bigger monster than Brown was already becoming with all of the drama of the offseason.
It sets up an inevitably intense matchup the first time the 76ers and Celtics meet next season:
John Gonzalez of CBS Sports struggled to find a way in which the Celtics improved as a result of the trade:
And one of the more blunt reactions came from longtime basketball reporter Jeff Goodman.
“This might be one of the worst trades I’ve seen in a long time,” he wrote on X. “I’m still in shock that Brad Stevens would make this deal.”
This might be one of the worst trades I’ve seen in a long time.
I’m still in shock that Brad Stevens would make this deal.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) July 1, 2026
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost to the Nationals 10-2 on Wednesday. Boston begins a three-game series against the Angles on the road tomorrow at 9:30 p.m.
In the World Cup, the United States defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32, advancing to play Belgium in the Round of 16 on Monday in Seattle at 8 p.m.
Today in the World Cup:
- Spain vs. Austria at 3 p.m.
- Portugal Croatia at 7 p.m.
- Switzerland vs. Algeria at 11 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Malik Tillman-tough: The U.S. midfielder’s right foot was bleeding through his sock after getting stepped on during the World Cup game on Wednesday. But after a quick cleat change, he scored a crucial insurance goal to help the Americans advance (see below).
Taylor Twellman’s take: Former Revolution forward (and soccer analyst) Taylor Twellman weighed in on Folarin Balogun’s red card:
Red card for that means you’ve lost the plot. Completely lost the plot. #USMNT
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) July 2, 2026
On this day: In 2010, a Uruguay-Ghana quarterfinal in the World Cup included memorable highlights and lowlights. After trading quality goals, it appeared that Ghana — then the only African team remaining in the first-ever African World Cup (with South Africa as hosts) — had scored a winning goal in extra time.
But as the ball was set to cross the goal-line, Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez reached up and blocked it with his hand. It was a calculated sacrifice, as he earned an instant red card for the offense, but Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty kick. Uruguay then proceeded to win the match when it went to a penalty kick shootout, concluding one of the most dramatic and controversial games of the tournament.
Daily highlight: Andrés Cantor’s goal call of Malik Tillman’s free kick score for the U.S. is as much of a must-listen as it is a must-watch.
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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