76ers Pull Off Blockbuster Trade, Acquire Jaylen Brown From Celtics For Paul George, Draft Picks
Robert Bukaty/AP Photo
Jaylen Brown is a Philadelphia 76er. What just happened?
According to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Philadelphia 76ers have traded Paul George, two-first round picks, and two second-round picks in exchange for Jaylen Brown. The picks will be a 2028 first-round pick that could convert from a first to a swap that is more favorable to Boston, the 76ers’ 2031 unprotected first, a 2028 second that’s the most favorable of GSW/OKC/MIL, and a 2030 second that’s most favorable of WAS/PORT/PHX.
If it wasn’t for the Luka Dončić trade two years ago, this may have been the most stunning trade in the history of the NBA. The Celtics and the 76ers, two of the biggest rivals in the entire NBA, have pulled off one of the biggest trades of the NBA offseason.
Brown, at 29 years old, is a former NBA Finals MVP, multi-time All-NBA and All-Star who is coming off his best statistical season as a pro in 2026 with the Celtics. Due to the Achilles injury to Jayson Tatum during the 2025 playoffs, Brown was forced to be the No. 1 option for the first 80% of the Celtics’ season, and he filled those pants the best he could during his time as top dog.
Last season, Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, all of those being career-highs, finishing sixth in MVP voting. Across his 71 games, he shot 34.7% from three and 47.7% from the field, while also averaging a steal a game.
Brown has been a name that has come up in trade talks essentially since the end of the Celtics’ season back in May, as after they blew a 3-1 series lead against the 76ers, Brown went to social media and expressed how last season was his “favorite season ever,” despite winning a championship and Finals MVP just two years prior.
Rumors began to swirl that tension grew between Brown and Tatum, and Brown felt that the Celtics were rolling without Tatum as he was recovering from his Achilles injury, and that when he returned late in the season, his presence disrupted the team’s chemistry. A trade seemed like it could be in the future for Brown, and reports over the last few weeks stated Boston attempted to trade Brown for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but were beaten out, with the Heat winning the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
Now, just over a week after nearly sending BRown to Milwaukee, Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office ship Brown down to Philadelphia, in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.
For George, the PG era ends after just two seasons in 76ers threads, as it felt from the jump that his signing with the 76ers wasn’t going to work out the way everyone hoped. The 2024-25 season was a complete wash as nearly the entire 76ers team went down with injuries, including George, who missed half the season with adductor and knee injuries.
The following year, George got off to an alright start, averaging 16 points through the first half of the season, before things took a turn when he was suspended for 25 games due to a positive PED test. George eventually returned before the playoffs and played some of his best basketball in the final 10 games of the season, and rolled into a solid showing in the playoffs. While George looked good, his limitations showed mightily, and with the forward now 36, his best playing days are clearly behind him, and Brown is a clear upgrade.
While it’s only been a few weeks now into the Mike Gansey era of the Philadelphia 76ers, the former Cavaliers general manager has pulled off one of the best trades not only this summer, but possibly in the 76ers franchise as a whole.
Brown joins a big four of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid, creating a serious threat to not only the entire Eastern Conference, but the NBA as a whole. The 76ers are going all in to try and maximize Joel Embiid’s final few prime seasons, and getting a player like BRown is the exact move they needed to make.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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