Jaylen Brown’s departure from Boston after a decade-long tenure marks the end of an iconic era. Despite helping raise the franchise’s 18th championship banner, the looming second-apron restrictions and a strained relationship ultimately compelled the front office to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The sudden dismantling of an elite championship core sent shockwaves across the basketball world. It also drew criticism from Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, who slammed the organization for breaking up the league’s premier duo and shipping their homegrown superstar to the divisional rivals.
Kevin Garnett Slams Boston’s Decision to Break Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Partnership
On the latest episode of KG Certified, the 2008 NBA champion didn’t hide his disapproval of Jaylen Brown’s trade to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for nine-time All-Star Paul George and draft picks.
The former MVP compared the deal to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ widely criticized trade of Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in October 2024 for Julius Randle.
“It’s like Minnesota kicking themselves over the KAT trade,” said Kevin Garnett. “I think Boston’s gonna look back on this. It’s like when KD left Golden State, and then he turned around like what the [expletive], like this one of the moments where you don’t break a great thing up. This is a great thing…I ain’t like the trade. I ain’t no fun, man. I wanted JB to retire as a Celtic.”
Towns went on to win a championship with the Knicks in 2025–26, while the Timberwolves finished 49–33 and were eliminated by the Spurs in the conference semifinals. The Wolves soon dealt Julius Randle to the Nets in a three-team trade in June 2026.
Garnett warns that the Celtics could face a similar asset-management disaster and soon regret their decision after breaking apart a perfectly functional team.
Garnett called Brown and Tatum “the most dynamic duo in the league,” emphasizing their bond, forged over nine years of shared challenges on the court.
“Keep it real, man, those two have been tested through time and time. So this is just relationship, it ain’t always going to be great. You know what I’m saying? But it would have to be something detrimental for me to break that up.”
Letting go of an elite two-way force like Jaylen Brown brings immense uncertainty, but it provides the Celtics with crucial salary cap relief. This financial flexibility allows Brad Stevens to reshape the roster and build a deeper supporting cast around their primary playmaker, Tatum.
Brown has 3 years, $185 million remaining on his current supermax and would soon be eligible for a 2-year, $142 million extension. He will earn a staggering $57 million for the 2026-27 season.
For now, only time will tell whether managing the salary cap outweighs losing a battle-tested star.
