On the second day of NBA Free Agency on July 1, Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers receive Brown in the shocking in division trade and the Celtics receive Paul George, two first round picks in 2028 and 2031, and two second round picks in 2028 and 2030.
Monday, July 6 is the start of teams being permitted to officially finalize all the trades and free agent signings as the Sixers now have acquired Brown. This past season, Brown had his best individual season leading the Celtics in a gap year averaging career highs of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Brown was without his running mate Jayson Tatum for the majority of the season due to tearing his achilles and he put the team on his back to be the 2nd seed in the East with putting himself in the MVP running.
As Brown departs from Boston, he has had an incredible career with the franchise. Brown played for the Boston Celtics for 10 seasons since 2016 where he was selected with the third overall pick in the NBA draft. Brown came to Boston who wasn’t a typical lottery team. From his rookie season in 2016 to his 10th year in the league in 2026, Brown has always put his head down and worked extremely hard to be where he’s at.
Back in 2024, Brown carried the Celtics to its 18th NBA Championship while winning NBA Finals MVP among other honors in his tenure. Brown was a five time NBA All-Star (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026), two time All-NBA Second Team (2023, 2026), and NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2017. Throughout this offseason, Boston put Brown in trade talks as they were looking to acquire Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ultimately, before the NBA Draft and NBA Free Agency, Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat. It was reported by multiple sources, the Celtics offered Brown and two-first round picks as the team was hesitant to give up Hugo González and Baylor Scheierman.
The failed pursuit of Giannis didn’t stop Boston from ultimately trading Brown. This isn’t the first time Brown has heard his name in trade talks as back in 2022 sources reported Boston offered Brown to Brooklyn when Kevin Durant was on the team. In the NBA today, one can argue Brown is one of the more polarizing and under-appreciated stars in the game. Each year Brown has stepped his game up with improving and doing whatever the team asks of him. Brown was in trade talks after a Finals loss in 2022 and after playing his best season of his career this past season. He was also left off of Team USA back in 2024 after winning an championship as his three teammates (Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) at the time played for Team USA.
The Celtics General Manger and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and the organization felt a change was needed as the team didn’t want to commit to two players making $50 million a year with the NBA second apron looming teams to make very difficult decisions. As Brown is in the prime of his career, now his next chapter is in Philly where he will help the team and franchise contend for an championship. Brown adds to the core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Despite the Sixers upsetting the Celtics in the first round in Game 7 before being swept in the second-round by the eventual champions New York Knicks, haven’t gotten over the hump in the playoffs.
Brown joins Philadelphia as a proven star who’s been there and knows how to win with two final appearances and six Eastern Conference Finals appearances. In free agency, the Sixers have also made some good signings after losing Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes, and Andre Drummond. The Sixers acquire Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, and Ariel Hukporti.
This upcoming NBA season in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers will now be one of the favorites to compete for a championship. The Eastern Conference has gotten loaded this offseason so will the Jaylen Brown trade get the Sixers over the hump? It remains to be seen.
