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The Boston Celtics’ decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for what initially felt like a paltry return was so shocking in the moment that a lot of people felt compelled to lie to rationalize it. The prevailing wisdom was that Boston had to trade their All-NBA wing because they already offered him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and in doing so broke the trust between the two parties. I’m not buying that, because Shams Charania maintained Brown never requested a trade even after the Bucks chose Miami’s (much better) offer. Long-time talking head Collin Cowherd reported that Brown has a “disease” where he thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. That quote just scans as racist, and also doesn’t get the real reason Boston traded Brown.
It’s easy to understand why the average NBA fan or analyst thinks Jaylen Brown is an elite player. He helped power the Celtics to 56 wins last season while Jayson Tatum was recovering from a torn Achilles, finishing No. 6 in MVP voting in the process. He helped the Celtics win the 2024 championship, and was named NBA Finals MVP for his efforts.
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How could the Celtics possibly trade a guy like that for two first-round picks and an even worse contract in Paul George? Well, it’s because Boston’s front office thinks Brown is massively overrated by fans and media. Apparently the rest of the NBA agrees, considering the Celtics reportedly shopped him to the entire league, and this was the best offer they could get.
The sticker shock was real when the deal was announced. That’s all the Celtics could get!? The trade grades industrial complex was not kind to Boston. ESPN gave the Celtics a D+ and the Sixers an A-. CBS Sports gave Boston a D- and Philly an A+. The Sporting News gave the Celtics a C- for the deal. I gave the Celtics a C+ and the Sixers an A- in my instant grades, which somehow made me one of the highest media members on the deal. Other smart basketball writers were immediately calling me out, asking if I was okay and touting this as the most “lopsided trade since Luka.”
By the next morning, I wish I had been a lot higher on the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jaylen-brown-trade-watershed-moment-120000356.html
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Publish date : 2026-07-06 12:00:00
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