The basketball world is still buzzing about the blockbuster trade that went down between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The Celtics sent Jaylen Brown, a five-time All-Star wing, to the 76ers for nine-time All-Star forward Paul George, two future first-round draft picks, and two future second-round picks.
From the Celtics’ perspective, this trade has been universally panned, and many are wondering what in the world the team was thinking. George was once a player who was roughly comparable to Brown, but at age 36, mileage and numerous injuries have robbed him of his elite ability on both ends of the floor. Still, Brown holds immense respect for the 16-year veteran.
Jaylen Brown Shares Thoughts on Paul George
In the first round of this spring’s playoffs, the Celtics and 76ers, who have had one of the NBA’s greatest rivalries dating back to the 1960s, faced off. After Boston took a commanding 3-1 series lead, the 76ers fought back and advanced by winning Game 7 109-100 on the road.
While George didn’t score a ton of points in the series, he played well overall and shot very efficiently. Across seven outings, he averaged 17.4 points per game and shot 48.9% from the field and 55% from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Brown put up 25.7 points a night on 45.5% shooting overall and 40.5% shooting from long distance.
During a Thursday livestream, while discussing the impact of George’s playoff performance on this week’s trade, Brown spoke highly of the 36-year-old.
“PG had a great series. PG looked like vintage PG … I think that was a part of the reason why the deal went down ’cause PG got a lot left in the tank,” Brown said. “So, don’t sleep on my dog. I [expletive] with PG.”
Jaylen Brown on Paul George:
“PG had a great series. I think that was part of the reason why the deal went through because PG definitely got more left in the tank. Don’t sleep on my dog.” pic.twitter.com/FVEmcuSdKZ
— Brody (@celtsallday_) July 3, 2026
In Game 7, with Tatum out due to injury, Brown erupted for 33 points, but unfortunately for Boston, it wasn’t enough.
Now that Brown is heading down I-95 to the City of Brotherly Love, he will have more help than he ever had in Beantown.
The 76ers Have an Embarrassment of Riches
Philadelphia now boasts Brown, who was the NBA Finals MVP in 2024 when Boston won it all, center Joel Embiid, a former MVP and scoring champion, and Tyrese Maxey, an All-Star guard who averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists a game this past season.
On Thursday, the 76ers improved their depth by agreeing to a contract with guard Anfernee Simons, who spent the first part of the 2025-26 campaign on the Celtics alongside Brown. He is 27 years of age and has a career average of 14.9 points a game, and has shot 38.1% from downtown through eight seasons.
Embiid is a perpetual injury risk and, in all likelihood, will miss a few dozen games each season. Still, Philadelphia has the offensive firepower to win plenty of games when he isn’t available, and as long as he is relatively healthy throughout the 2027 playoffs, the team should be capable of achieving something special.
