Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed the controversial Jaylen Brown trade on Monday. He took the podium at the Auerbach Center to answer questions from an eager Boston press corps following the trade that continues to reverberate around the NBA.
Stevens had a lot to unpack in a 45-minute media session, including what he personally felt about the deal that sent Brown to Philly for what many thought was a shockingly underwhelming return.
Brad Stevens Details the Most Difficult Aspect of the Jaylen Brown Trade
The Celtics made Brown the No. 3 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. Stevens was then the coach when the 6-foot-6, uber-athletic but raw talent arrived in Beantown.
In 10 years since coming to Boston, Brown has built an enviable resume that includes five All-Star selections and two All-NBA nods. He was the 2024 NBA Finals MVP when the Celtics broke a 16-year title drought.
JB easily became one of the biggest sports stars not just in Boston but in Massachusetts. Besides his basketball exploits, Brown was just as important for his off-court work.
With so much history between Brown, the city, and the franchise, Stevens shared what made the trade particularly tough for him.
“I’ve lost sleep over the ‘fan’ part of this. I get it. Like, there’s a bunch of 7 jerseys around. I’m pretty sure I bought a couple, so I get it,” Stevens said.
“I lost sleep over the fan part of this. I get it, there’s a bunch of 7 jerseys around. I’m pretty sure I bought a couple of them.”
— Brad Stevens on fans being upset about the Jaylen Brown trade.
(h/t @lockedupjb)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 6, 2026
In return for Brown, the Celtics received Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and 2031), and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030).
Celtics supporters were particularly aghast that Stevens traded for a 36-year-old forward who has played 78 games over the past two seasons. George is also owed $54.1 million for the next season, just slightly lower than Brown’s $57 million.
Stevens explained why they had to make tough choices this offseason, one that was headlined by the Brown-George swap.
”The new CBA coincided seven years after the supermaxes were instituted. We may not be sitting here if there was a rule in the CBA that said guys you drafted and signed to 35% supermaxes count 25% against cap, because that would allow you to build out toward the aprons with a lot more flexibility,” Stevens said.
The Celtics’ head of basketball operations added that Jayson Tatum and Brown made up 47% of the salary cap when they won the championship in 2024, a figure “that’s just going up and up, and that’s tough.”
George has a $56.6 million player option for the 2027-28 season, making him a significant asset for potential trades. Brown, owed roughly $126 million for 2027-28 and 2028-29, is also eligible to sign a two-year, $142 million extension this month.
Stevens is saying that the trade was tough, one that he lost sleep over for the fans, but wouldn’t operate with Tatum and Brown getting a total of 70% of the payroll.
The executive emphasized optionality, which he acquired with George’s contract and the two first-round picks, which could prove invaluable.
