The Boston Celtics shocked everyone by trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The more surprising decision was that they didn’t do it for a great value after acquiring two future first-round and second-round picks each, along with an aging Paul George, who is owed $54.1 million next year and has a player option for $56.6 million in the 2027-28 season.
As NBA reporters and fans speculated and dug for answers about the Celtics’ decision on Brown, analyst Tom Haberstroh looked at stats that may have led Brad Stevens, Boston’s president of basketball operations, to green-light the deal. The numbers show that the Celtics won at a higher rate when Brown was absent.
“One possible reason Brad Stevens made the move he did: The Celtics were 90-36 (.714) in games that Jaylen Brown did NOT play,” Haberstoh wrote on X on Wednesday. “36-6 (.857) in last three seasons. Equivalent of a 70-win team.”
Jaylen Brown entered a Celtics team that was already tailor-made for playoff basketball. They have one of the longest active streaks of making the playoffs, with 12 straight postseason appearances as of 2026. Naturally, it made Brown the winningest player since his NBA debut, with a 523-293 record in the regular season and playoffs combined.
However, the Celtics have also been the most successful team in that period, and their record without Brown shows it. It’s probably not the only reason Brad Stevens pulled the plug on Brown, but it could have been a compelling aspect in fueling his confidence to keep Boston a winning franchise without the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.
Moreover, the Celtics will also shed significant salary in 2028 when George’s contract expires. Brown had three more years left on his deal. He was owed $57.7 million in the upcoming season, $61.7 million in 2027-28 and $65.6 million in the 2028-29 season.
The Celtics already had Jayson Tatum making roughly the same money over this stretch. Tatum also has a player option worth $71.4 million in the 2029-30 season.
Shams Charania reports the Celtics didn’t want to offer Jaylen Brown a two-year, $145 million extension
On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania shed more light on potential reasons for the Celtics shockingly trading Jaylen Brown. Charania reported that Brown felt a level of disrespect due to the trade rumors involving him. According to Charania’s previous report, the Celtics offered Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Since then, he’s dominated the trade rumor mill. The Celtics making Brown a two-year, $145 million extension offer later this month seemed unlikely, and Boston aggressively shopped and traded him to the 76ers.
“It was very clear that Jaylen Brown felt a level of disrespect being thrown out there in trade talks,” Charania said on ‘Get Up.’ “The only way to make him feel better was by showing him the money in late July. Two years, $145 million is what he was eligible for. … All indications after this trade are that the offer was never coming.”
Charania added that the bar kept lowering for Brown’s returns as no team wanted to part with Boston’s initial expectation of four first-round picks. With time running out, the Celtics pulled the trigger and completed the trade with the 76ers.
Read more:
- Brian Windhorst Rejects Narrative That LeBron James Left Lakers on His Terms, Citing Austin Reaves’ Pitch With Custom Pillows
- Stephen A. Smith Feels “Validated” Over Past Jaylen Brown Criticisms Following His Trade to 76ers
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