The Boston Celtics’ decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and 2031), and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030) was roundly criticized. Even rival GMs ripped Celtics head of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, for the shocking move.
While the 76ers seemed to have won the trade by a lopsided margin, an NBA champ opposed that popular narrative.
NBA Champion Backs Celtics After Controversial Jaylen Brown-Paul George Trade
This past season, Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. With him becoming the No. 1 option following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury rehab, the Celtics surpassed all expectations.
Boston finished its 2025-26 campaign with a 56-26 record for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The 6-foot-6 guard earned an All-Star selection, an All-NBA nod, and ended No. 6 in MVP voting. Despite that, the Celtics traded him for George, who has been limited to 78 games over the past two seasons and picks.
After hearing the criticism and the lambasting, Jeff Teague, who won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, offers his take on the controversial trade.
“I like this more for Boston, actually, though. I like JB (Brown), but I think Paul George is a complementary piece now in his career. We’ve seen him last year, and he had some complementary moments that was big. But I think this for Jayson Tatum can turn him into the MVP candidate that we think he could be,” Teague said on Monday’s “Club 520” podcast.
“I like this more for Boston… I think Paul George is a complementary piece now in his career… I think this for Jayson Tatum can turn him into the MVP candidate we think he could be.”
— Jeff Teague 👀
(via @club520podcast)pic.twitter.com/bRL3YKaebj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 7, 2026
Tatum has already been in MVP talks multiple times during his career. From 2021-22 to 2024-25, he never finished below sixth in the MVP race. He ranked fourth twice during that stretch.
Without Brown, the Celtics now have one unquestioned and undeniable go-to player. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP was a crucial part of the team for a decade, but in his absence, Teague sees even more production and impact from Tatum.
For the former NBA journeyman, George can’t be overlooked as part of the supporting cast.
In the 2026 playoffs, “PG-13” showed that he could still impact the game on offense. When he was on the floor, the 76ers had a 111.5 offensive rating, a figure that dropped to 98.5 without him, per NBA Stats. The difference was third on the team behind star guard Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
According to Teague, Tatum reacted with shock when the former NBA player asked him about the Brown trade. Teague added that the six-time All-Star is “motivated” to prove that the Celtics made the right choice in keeping him.
The Celtics chose Tatum over Brown to carry them in the foreseeable future. Teague predicts Boston made the right move for both its short and long-term plans.
