According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Boston Celtics have traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
In a follow-up post, Charania detailed the picks coming back to Boston: A 2028 first (that could turn into a swap that favors Boston), a 2031 unprotected first, a 2028 second (most favorable of GSW/OKC/MIL), and a 2030 second (most favorable of WAS/PORT/PHX).
The 2028 first is complicated, with the details outlined by Keith Smith of Spotrac here:
The 2028 pick Boston is getting, or swapping, with the Sixers is kind of complicated.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 1, 2026
Boston could get Philadelphia's pick if it lands 1-8. If that pick is 9-30 it's gone from the Sixers in a complicated swap that involves multiple teams.
If the Philadelphia pick is 9-30, then…
Effectively, if the Sixers' pick is in the top eight, the Celtics get it. If not, then Boston gets the best of its own pick and the LA Clippers pick that the 76ers own.
Last year, George appeared in just 37 games for the Sixers, playing 30.7 minutes per contest. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 43.9% from the floor and 39.2% from deep on 6.9 3-point attempts per contest.
BSJ Analysis
The deal is done. And it is a doozy.
To me, this tells me one of two things. One, the relationship with Brown was irreparable to the point where he had to be moved. Or two, the Celtics finally decided they wanted out of the Brown business, regardless of the deal.
There is no pretending when it comes to George. He is 36 years old and makes way too much money for his production. His postseason performance last year was impressive, but this deal is not about getting George back.
If anything, the fact that the Celtics had to take back two years of George's money at $54.1 million and $56.6 million (a player option he will almost certainly pick up) is a testament to how bad the trade market was.
No one wanted to give anything up for Brown. Because if this were the bar, then every team around the NBA is a professional limbo player. Because it was low.
For a moment, let's live in a world where the first of those two potential things is true. Let's say the relationship with Brown was truly irreparable. Well, then the Celtics had to trade him. You can't go into a season with a guy who is upset to the point of not wanting to be there.
That's when you get into Ben Simmons territory. When you get into Kawhi Leonard territory. I'm not saying that's what happened, but if this is the return the Celtics landed on, then it had to be bad.
Well, what about the other option? What if the Celtics were truly done with the Brown era in Boston? Well, then they would have to feel so strongly about dumping Brown that they would be willing to accept a trade package as dire as this one.
Brown is fresh off an All-NBA Second Team season. He was an All-Star. He was a top-10 player in the NBA who finished sixth in MVP voting. And the Celtics traded him for one of the worst contracts in the league, two firsts, and two seconds.
Not only that, but they traded him to the very team that ended their season last year. The very Sixers team that came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Celtics in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. They paired him alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, helping the 76ers form one of the most valiant Big 3s in the league.
Even if you are a non-believer in Brown, even if you believe that the Celtics will be better off without Brown, even if you think the Celtics are a better team with Brown off the court and they had to get rid of him this summer, there is no beating around the bush: This trade return is a disaster.
To be perfectly clear, this is not about who George is on the court. George actually played well last season. He was a productive 3-point shooter, and in the playoffs, he was one of the best players on the floor. But his contract is awful, and he is 36 years old. And perhaps worst of all, you traded Jaylen Brown for him.
The picks are fine. The 2028 first-rounder has a good chance at ending up in the top-10, especially considering the Clippers don't project to be a playoff team next season. But that's not nearly enough to rest your laurels on.
There's one point I keep coming back to: Brown and the Celtics were