The Boston Celtics are heading into next season with a dramatically reshaped roster after sending five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. The blockbuster deal instantly became one of the biggest storylines of the offseason as Boston got 36-year-old Paul George and four future draft picks in return.
Now, with far less scoring support, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed Brown’s departure for the first time since the franchise-altering move became official.
Joe Mazzulla Still Processing Jaylen Brown Trade, Refuses To Point Fingers
Mazzulla met with reporters on Thursday during Boston’s NBA Summer League practice in Las Vegas. Naturally, the Brown trade was one of the main talking points, and the Celtics tactician admitted he is still working through everything that came with the shake-up.
“Still processing it,” Mazzulla said. “It’s not a black-and-white thing. There’s a feeling that goes into it, there’s an emotion that goes into it, there’s a processing pattern that goes into it.”
Mazzulla also revealed that he did not directly influence the move. However, he stayed in regular contact with Brad Stevens throughout the process and expressed complete trust in the front office executive who previously assembled a championship-caliber roster.
Mazzulla’s reaction is understandable, as the impact of losing Brown likely won’t become fully apparent until the 2026-27 regular season begins.
The star wing is coming off the best scoring campaign of his career after averaging 28.7 points per game, trailing only Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Anthony Edwards across the NBA.
In his 10-year run, Brown also established himself as a franchise cornerstone, made five All-Star appearances, and led Boston to the 2024 NBA Championship as the Finals MVP.
Because of that, Mazzulla also took a moment to show gratitude to Brown for his contributions.
“The quicker you can get to — it’s just a level of gratitude,” Mazzulla continued. “He made me a better coach. I know that for a fact. The way he pushed me, the way he pushed himself, the way he pushed the locker room. He made me a better coach, and that’s what you focus on.”
Joe Mazzulla on Jaylen Brown:
“It’s not a black and white thing. There’s a feeling that goes into it. There’s an emotion that goes into it. There’s a processing pattern that goes into it.
“The quicker you can get to — it’s just a level of gratitude. He made me a better coach. I… pic.twitter.com/dv7rp5ONwi
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) July 9, 2026
Now, it’s a new era in Boston. The organization expects a full season from Jayson Tatum as it reshapes its identity around a different core. The Celtics already signed Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley in free agency, and George is also joining them.
But they will need to be better prepared after how their 2025-26 campaign ended. Boston dominated much of the regular season before collapsing against the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
“To have such a great regular season, but then when you blow a 3-1 lead, that’s on everybody,” Mazzulla added. “That’s on me, that’s on the coaching staff, that’s on the players. You have to look at all those things.”
So now, the focus is on what comes next. Boston begins its post-Brown journey on Friday in the NBA Summer League against the Toronto Raptors, offering the first glimpse of a roster entering a new era.
