Jaylen Brown is officially leaving the TD Garden. After weeks of trade-rumor drama, the Boston Celtics pulled off a stunning deal, sending their 2024 Finals MVP to the rival Philadelphia 76ers on July 1.
In return, the Celtics landed veteran wing Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030).
Chris Haynes Breaks Down Celtics’ Future Post-Jaylen Brown Trade
The blockbuster deal closed a massive chapter for Brown and the Celtics and sent shockwaves through the Eastern Conference. The 5-time NBA All-Star carried the Celtics’ offense as the primary playmaker after Jayson Tatum sustained an ACL injury, posting a career-high 28.7 points per game last season, along with 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field.
Now the star guard heads to Xfinity Mobile Arena to form a terrifying new big three alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. But what comes next for the Boston Celtics after this jaw-dropping trade?
After their aggressive pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo fell flat, the Celtics’ front office chose to retool the roster rather than face a complicated financial fork in the road. While the 29-year-old superstar is looking for a staggering $57 million paycheck for the upcoming 2026-27 season, he is also positioned to command a whopping two-year, $142 million extension this summer.
Appearing on NBATV’s The Association, Senior NBA Insider Chris Haynes explained the front office’s mindset and their plan going forward. He called the Celtics-Antetokounmpo-Brown situation a difficult one, like squeezing toothpaste back into the tube. While agreeing that the trade affected the Celtics, he also noted that the franchise wasn’t ready for the looming salary negotiations.
“Obviously, they were feeling hurt, I was told…Remember the five-year deal that he signed two years ago? That was the highest contract in NBA history at the time. He was eligible for a contract extension this summer, two years, $142 million tacked on to that…And I do think that the Boston Celtics didn’t want to have that conversation. So those are kind of the elements that happened behind the scenes that led us to this point, to where they have to trade him now,” said Haynes.
Chris Haynes on what’s next for the Celtics:
“I think if Boston makes any moves moving forward now, it will be around the edges. This was their super move…They feel really good about how they’ve positioned themselves. They like the structure of their roster moving forward into… https://t.co/ctL54Rrl2p
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) July 2, 2026
Expanding on the trade, the NBA insider revealed that the Boston Celtics have high hopes for Jayson Tatum, who is looking great, and are trying to rebuild a contender-worthy roster.
“I think if Boston makes any moves moving forward now, it’s going to be around the edges…This was their super move right here. And they feel pretty good about the people over there…how they positioned themselves, and like the structure of their roster moving forward to next season.”
“As great as Jalen Brown is, Boston didn’t want to have that conversation about the extension. They didn’t want to go in that direction. And so that eliminated that problem.”
By swapping Brown for the 36-year-old George and a haul of future draft assets, Stevens has taken some tough decisions for the Celtics’ future. Whether this decision will bear fruit or be written as the biggest mistake in the franchise is a story only time will tell.
Stevens just went all-in, trading a homegrown franchise cornerstone for a 36-year-old veteran and a war chest of picks. Will this roster shakeup birth a brand-new championship window, or will it go down in history as the Celtics’ most catastrophic blunder? Only time will tell.
