The Boston Celtics traded 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for veteran forward Paul George and four draft picks on July 1, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The picks Boston received include the 2028 first-round pick, which may convert to a favorable swap, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and two second-round picks in 2028 and 2030 with favorable protections [2, 6, 7, 8].
Brown ends a decade-long tenure in Boston during which he became a five-time All-Star and averaged career-best 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in the 2025-26 season [1, 2, 6, 7, 9]. He appeared in more total wins than any other NBA player in the last 10 years, accumulating 523 combined regular season and playoff victories for the Celtics. "Nobody has won more combined regular-season and playoff games since I entered the league 10 years ago," Brown said [1, 4].
Paul George, a nine-time All-Star at age 36, joins the Celtics after playing 78 games for the 76ers over the last two seasons. George was suspended for 25 games last regular season due to a drug policy violation and is entering the final years of his contract with a player option after the 2027-28 season [2, 3, 6, 10].
The Celtics had initially pursued a trade sending Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that deal fell through when Giannis was traded to Miami Heat. Boston then completed the trade with Philadelphia [1, 2, 7, 11, 10]. Team president Brad Stevens reportedly shopped Brown around the league extensively in the months before the trade as relations deteriorated [9].
After Boston’s first-round loss to Philadelphia in the 2026 playoffs, when they lost a 3-1 lead, Brown became the subject of frequent trade rumors and expressed feeling underappreciated [3, 11, 9]. Brown acknowledged mixed emotions about the trade, saying on July 3 that he was "still processing how this all went down" [12]. Before the trade, Brown had publicly called 76ers star Joel Embiid a "flopper" during a livestream, but now joins Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form Philadelphia’s core [1, 3, 11].
Jayson Tatum, Brown’s longtime Celtics teammate, missed most of the 2025-26 season recovering from an Achilles injury [1, 4, 6]. After the trade, Boston signed free agents Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson to bolster their roster [3, 5, 8].
Jaylen Brown is under contract with three years remaining on a five-year, $285 million supermax extension signed in July 2023 [2, 10]. Paul George will have a player option after the 2027-28 season and then could become an unrestricted free agent [10]. The trade officially closed on July 1. Philadelphia Governor Josh Shapiro welcomed Brown on social media shortly after, saying, "Sixers get way better and, as a bonus, the Celtics got worse!" [4]
The Celtics continue reshaping their lineup following the trade and playoff exit, with the newly acquired draft picks set to grant Boston future roster flexibility and assets [6, 7, 8].
