The Jaylen Brown era is over for the Boston Celtics. The five-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA second team recipient, and the 2024 NBA Finals MVP is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers. In light of the seemingly little the Celtics got back for him, the reaction has been unsurprisingly strong.
Celtics Getting Torn to Shreds for Jaylen Brown Trade Return
After ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Brown would be traded to the Sixers for Paul George, along with two first-round picks and two second-round picks, he gave the full details of the deal.
Details on 76ers picks to the Celtics, per sources:
— 2028 first-round pick that could convert from a first to a swap that is more favorable to Boston
— 2031 unprotected Philadelphia first
— 2028 second round, most favorable of GSW/OKC/MIL
— 2030 second, most favorable… https://t.co/nbxdEsvB4f
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
When factoring in that Brown is coming off his best season with the Celtics, and that the Sixers just eliminated them in the playoffs, the reactions to this move have been overwhelmingly negative in Boston.
Well-known basketball analyst Jeff Goodman did not mince words about the deal in response on X, writing, “What an awful trade by the Celtics.”
PFSN’s Jacob Infante wrote, “Feel like the Celtics should’ve gotten more” in response to Charania’s report.
The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry shared a similar sentiment on X, writing, “This is insane.”
FanDuel’s X account captured the reactions of Celtics fans everywhere, sharing a picture of Willem Dafoe’s stunned face in The Lighthouse with the caption, “Celtics fans seeing this trade.”
Some offered a rather unique take on the situation, like the X account “They Got Me,” writing, “Holy (expletive) his value was in the dirt.”
Hoop Central hyped up the new-look Sixers on X, writing, “Joel Embiid. Jaylen Brown. Tyrese Maxey. VJ Edgecombe. SIXERS BIG 4,” with a flame emoji.
Sleeper’s X account asked “Greatest NBA offseason of all time?” with a clip of an Eagles player soaking it all in during the Super Bowl.
Lastly, Yahoo Sports! Kevin O’Connor had a reaction for both sides that wasn’t too far different from everyone else’s on X, writing, “Crazy crazy crazy…hell of an upgrade for the Sixers. Totally bolsters their odds. As for the Celtics: YIKES!”
In all fairness, there had been warnings for quite some time that the Celtics weren’t going to get much value for Brown because of his expensive deal. Brown is currently on a $285,393,640 that runs until 2029. This reflects more on what very little they had to work with.
If that was the best offer they could get for Brown, then his market truly was that weak. Now he gets to spend his prime on the Sixers, who were looking for an extra boost, not to mention trying to get off George’s deal.
Furthermore, trades like this underscore that Brown’s relationship with the Celtics must have been burnt to a crisp if they were truly that desperate.
