Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown to 76ers in Blockbuster Deal

After years in Boston with the superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have officially broken that pair up.

As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Brown has been traded to the rival Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, multiple first-round draft picks and additional draft compensation.

And not only is this move surprising because these are Eastern Conference competitors, but the 76ers just eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs.

That makes the deal even more interesting.

Brown is younger than George, has been healthier on average, and at this stage is the better player. The draft compensation also wasn’t overwhelming, which is why this trade will be heavily debated.

For Boston, this signals the start of a new era. No longer will it be Brown and Tatum. Now, the Celtics will lean into Tatum as the clear central star, with high-level players around him like George, Derrick White and others.

George is still a proven veteran with plenty of experience, but this is no longer the same type of Celtics roster. Brown was a true co-star. George, at this stage, is more of a high-end supporting piece.

For Philadelphia, the early read is that it won the deal.

The 76ers now have a core of Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. That group alone makes Philadelphia one of the most interesting teams in the Eastern Conference, and it could also make the Sixers a more attractive option for LeBron James as he figures out his next team.

Even without James, this is one of the biggest offseason trades yet, and there have already been plenty of them.

Both franchises should still be competitive next season. Both should be playoff teams. But both are going to look very different.

It’s not often that rival teams swap players of this caliber, but the deal is done. Jaylen Brown is a Philadelphia 76er.