Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown played 10 seasons with the Celtics, winning NBA Finals MVP in 2024.
Jaylen Brown was linked to numerous trade rumors over the start of the summer. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
July 1, 2026 | 6:29 PM
3 minutes to read
The Jaylen Brown era in Boston has reportedly come to a crushing end.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics have traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
Wednesday’s blockbuster deal marks the end of an offseason rife with trade rumors for Brown — who helped the Celtics win a championship across 10 seasons in Boston, taking home NBA Finals MVP en route to the Celtics’ sought-after 18th title.
It also stands as a disheartening final chapter to one of the more fruitful eras in the Celtics’ storied history, one that saw Boston establish itself as a perennial contender behind the play of both Brown and Jayson Tatum.
That extended stretch of success has given way to a seismic offseason for Brad Stevens and the Celtics, with Boston moving on from a franchise pillar after nearly coming close to dealing him last week to Milwaukee.
The writing was seemingly on the wall that Brown’s time in Boston was coming to a close after several reports tabbed the star wing as the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal involving Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But, even after the Celtics came up short in the bidding for Antetokounmpo — who was ultimately dealt to Miami — multiple NBA insiders echoed a shared sentiment that Boston was still trying to trade away Brown.
“So, now, what I expect to happen is a bidding war for Jaylen Brown [from] other teams in the league,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on June 23. “In the most recent days, teams have been preparing for this eventuality that it wouldn’t be the Boston Celtics who won the Giannis sweepstakes and there would be a Jaylen Brown market.”
Losing out on a two-time MVP like Antetokounmpo had some sizable ramifications, with Brown’s value seemingly cratering over the last week as Boston continued to field offers.
“Barring a drastic and unforeseen change in the market, the Boston Celtics will have to significantly lower their asking price if they plan on trading [Brown] anytime soon,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote on Tuesday. “As you’ve no doubt heard by now, they’ve been asking for up to four first-round picks (in addition to players) for a team to land the 29-year-old forward.”
Ultimately, that lowered asking price manifested in a deal on Wednesday that now sends Brown to a fellow playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
In terms of the draft capital, the 76ers are reportedly sending, per Charania:
— A 2028 first-round pick that could convert from a first to a swap that is more favorable to Boston.
— A 2031 unprotected Philadelphia first-round pick.
— A 2028 second round, most favorable of Golden State/Oklahoma City /Milwaukee.
— A 2030 second, most favorable of Washington/Portland/Phoenix.
As for George, the 36-year-old wing averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game over 37 games this past season with Philly. He is signed for the 2026-27 season with a cap hit of $54.1 million and has a player option for the 2027-28 campaign.
It’s a pretty sobering return for Brown, who is coming off the best season of his career. With Tatum out for most of the season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles, Brown rose to the occasion. Brown averaged a career-best 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading Boston to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Brown earned All-NBA Second Team honors for his efforts, with the return of a healthy Tatum in 2026-27 offering hope that Boston could reestablish itself as a legitimate contender moving forward.
But, last week, Brad Stevens was noncommittal when asked about Brown’s future in Boston, even after Antetokounmpo was dealt to Miami.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? So obviously, you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been.
“He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around. And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires, or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship, 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.”
Brown, who stressed earlier this offseason that this past year was his “favorite” of a 10-year run with Boston, acknowledged on June 22 that he was well aware of all the trade rumors surrounding him.
“To all the people who have doubted me, that want me to do this or want me gone, you’re turning me into a monster,” Brown said on Twitch.
Now, Brown will look to terrorize his former team for the foreseeable future as a key cog on a strong Philadelphia roster.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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