Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens shocked the NBA in early July by trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, the same team that had just eliminated Boston from the 2026 playoffs.
The return was nearly as surprising, with the Celtics receiving veteran Paul George and draft picks for Brown, who finished sixth in this past season’s MVP voting.
On Tuesday, Stevens made an unexpected comment about his former star, suggesting Brown’s No. 7 could still end up retired in Boston. That remark quickly divided the NBA world.
Jaylen Brown Jersey Retirement Talk Divides NBA Community As Brad Stevens Makes Unexpected Celtics Claim
The Boston Globe’s Avery Hill reported that Stevens appeared Tuesday at the 2026 Cape Cod Speaker Series at Cape Cod Community College, where the conversation eventually shifted to his polarizing decision to trade Brown.
During the question-and-answer session, Stevens discussed some of the difficult moves he has made since becoming Boston’s primary basketball decision-maker. He recalled trading Marcus Smart “a couple of years ago,” Jrue Holiday last year, and then Brown less than two months ago.
Stevens described moving Brown as a “brutal” decision before adding that Brown’s number “will likely go up in the rafters in Boston.”
Brad Stevens says Jaylen Brown’s No. 7 jersey will likely go up in the rafters in Boston, per @ByAveryHill pic.twitter.com/0InsibrCJs
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 27, 2026
The two-time NBA Executive of the Year’s speculation immediately drew mixed reactions from NBA fans.
“Love you JB and Brad, but I can’t back this up,” a diehard Boston sports supporter wrote.
Love you JB and Brad, but I can’t back this up
— Coach Phat White (@TheNewEERa) August 27, 2026
“Likely? Haha, he should be a lock,” an NBA observer added.
Likely? Haha he should be a lock
— Raymond Sims (@Chozen411) August 27, 2026
“Only one championship despite all those great teams and those subliminal shots he was sending? [Expletive] that,” a Celtics supporter reacted.
The debate extended beyond Boston.
“Likely? He got a Finals MVP; it should be a definitely,” an NBA observer tweeted.
“As it should. He’s the Finals MVP of their last NBA Championship,” a self-proclaimed basketball junkie declared.
“Yet you traded him for a 36-year-old,” a basketball enthusiast questioned Stevens’ logic.
Yet you traded him for a 36 year old… pic.twitter.com/czKH1KAz0E
— Big Rome 🚀 (@LONDO87540615) August 27, 2026
Brown certainly built a strong résumé during his 10 seasons in Boston. The No. 3 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft earned five All-Star selections, two All-NBA nods, and the NBA Finals MVP award during the Celtics’ 2024 title run.
The 6-foot-6 star also ranks among the franchise’s statistical leaders, sitting third in 3-pointers made (1,284), third in 3-point attempts (3,589), tied for eighth in triple-doubles (6), and seventh in steals (684).
Boston reached the playoffs in every season of Brown’s decade with the franchise, making six Eastern Conference finals appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals.
That résumé gives Brown a persuasive case for having his No. 7 raised to the rafters. Still, after the surprise trade, Celtics fans may look at his legacy through a different lens, even with everything he accomplished in Boston.
