Obviously, the entire nation is caught up with the Jaylen Brown trade. It's hard not to be. The Boston Celtics traded an All-NBA Second Teamer who finished sixth in MVP voting for Paul George and draft picks. It's hard not to fixate on something like that.
But step outside the Celtics-sphere for a moment. Because the Brown trade did way more than change the outlook in Boston. It changed the entire outlook of the Eastern Conference. And it's not the only move that did so.
Brown joining the Philadelphia 76ers gives them an elite Big 3 of him, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. And that's without even mentioning second-year wing VJ Edgecombe. That team should be a force.
Boston won't be bad either. The Celtics still have Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, George, and the same supporting cast that helped them win 56 games last year (plus some free-agency additions).
What about the other trades? It feels like the Kawhi Leonard deal has been swept under the rug in the wake of the Brown trade. Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett are a great trio. The Toronto Raptors took a jump last year, and with Leonard in place of Brandon Ingram, they should be even better.
Obviously, the Miami Heat will be in a much better place. The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo alone is enough to secure that truth, but they definitely aren't done adding. There's a real chance they contend for a top spot.
The New York Knicks are still intact. Fresh off an NBA Championship, they will be running back almost the exact same roster next season. They're sure to be toward the top of the conference.
The same can be said for the Detroit Pistons. Their offseason hasn't been amazing, but their roster looks very similar to the one that sat atop the East last year. They have the talent to compete with the best.
Then there's the Orlando Magic, who will look to bounce back after a shaky year. The Washington Wizards have much more talent this year. Tyrese Haliburton will be back, and the Indiana Pacers will be looking to get back to the Finals. The Atlanta Hawks. The Cleveland Cavaliers. The Charlotte Hornets. The East is as loaded as it's been in recent memory.
For years, the West has been the deeper, more talented conference. At the top -- the very top -- that may still be true. But when it comes to depth, the East is right there, and it might have surpassed the West.

© Winslow Townson
Jaylen Brown
1. Jaylen Brown's Twitch stream
One day after getting traded, Brown posted his statement to social media. In it, he thanked the City of Boston, the Celtics fanbase, and the community. He also mentioned that he looks forward to suiting up for the Sixers.
Philly #throwtheballup let’s get it pic.twitter.com/zdC6g1dTyM
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 2, 2026
Then, on Thursday night, Brown went live on his Twitch channel. And as one would imagine, he had a lot to say, and almost all of it began making the rounds on social media. It's impossible to detail every single thing he said during the stream, but these were some of the highlights.
Perhaps the most notable statement Brown made was his lack thereof. He said he wasn't thrilled with how the talks unfolded down the stretch of his time in Boston. Brown also noted that he believes Brad Stevens will get a lot of the blame, but he said it in a way that made it seem he didn't necessarily think that should be the case.
Jaylen Brown says he didn’t like that the Boston Celtics didn’t tell him why he was being traded.
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) July 3, 2026
“I wasn’t thrilled with how the conversation was facilitated. I did feel like it was a lack of respect. At one point it was fine, and then out of nowhere it just went left. I… pic.twitter.com/FYsOP7tk7E
Brown also addressed the comment Colin Cowherd made, stating that Brown is too smart for his own good. And he responded in a hilarious way, effectively saying that, in the NBA, the bar is pretty low.
Jaylen Brown: "In sports, no offense to everybody, in sports -- but the bar is fucking low. You know what I mean. The bar isn't that high." pic.twitter.com/Bdb0N45al0
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 3, 2026
He mentioned that some of his teammates have reached out since the trade, specifically name-dropping Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Social media was quick to point out that Tatum was not mentioned.
Jaylen Brown says only the young guys reached out to him since the trade
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) July 3, 2026
No mention of Jayson Tatum 😳 pic.twitter.com/MFf87iNMsa
Brown stated that his key card didn't work when he went to the Celtics' facilities, said that the Celtics 'packed him up,' called Edgecombe on stream, and said that it's going to be hard for him not to hate Philadelphia from here on out.
Jaylen Brown goes live on Twitch after being traded from the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) July 3, 2026
“For the last 10 years, I’ve been programmed to hate Philadelphia, from the history of the rivalry to the playoff battles, the process, like I’ve been programmed to be like f—k… pic.twitter.com/pafQ1mRQbs
2. Lakers building around Luka Doncic
As Boston has dealt with the fallout from the Brown trade, the criticism has obscured the mess that's been unfolding on the other coast. Rob Pelinka went to work, but in the process, he eliminated almost all the flexibility the Lakers have to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves moving forward.
Pelinka sent two future first-round picks and two future first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler. His defense, rebounding, and pick-and-roll skills pair perfectly alongside Doncic and Reaves. And his $32.5 million AAV is a pretty fair price point. LA also brought in Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton in free agency. It's a solid team.
But in the process of trading for Kessler, Pelinka effectively traded all of LA's future draft capital. So, if this core fails to get over the hump, the Lakers don't really have a way to fix it. That's a dangerous game to be playing.
Kessler is a great player. And the most important part of building around Doncic is ensuring you have a top-notch center. But the rest of the Lakers' supporting cast just isn't strong enough.

© David Reginek
Jalen Duren and LeBron James
3. LeBron James is leaving LA
I believe that LeBron James leaving is best for the Lakers. Not because he can't play anymore -- he absolutely can -- but because they wouldn't have had the money to add depth if they had to keep paying him.
Now, what the Lakers ended up doing with the extra money wasn't amazing. Maybe it was
