Jaylen Brown feels 'a lack of respect' as Celtics trade him to longtime rival 76ers

The trade

The Boston Celtics have agreed to send five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for veteran forward Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, with possible swap rights, and an unprotected 2031 pick) and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030). The deal, reported on Wednesday and confirmed by multiple outlets, cannot be officially completed until Monday due to the league's free agency negotiating period.

Brown, 29, is coming off a career season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, finishing sixth in MVP voting while leading a Celtics team that was without Jayson Tatum for much of the year because of an Achilles tear. Boston went 56-26 before losing a 3-1 first-round lead to the same 76ers.

Brown's reaction

In a social media post and a subsequent Twitch stream on Thursday, Brown said he was still processing the trade. He described feeling both excitement about the new chapter and disappointment over how his Celtics tenure ended.

I'm excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.

Brown pointed to a lack of communication from Boston's front office, particularly president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. He said there was "more to it" than his on-court performance, but that explanation was never provided.

I wasn't thrilled with the amount of respect that was shown during this process. I think there was a bit of a lack of respect.

The rift appeared to widen when the Celtics included Brown in trade discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who later landed with the Miami Heat. Boston then continued to explore the market, ultimately pivoting to the Philadelphia deal. Brown noted that no team had won more combined regular-season and playoff games over the past decade than the Celtics with him on the roster.

Betting markets react

Sportsbooks dramatically adjusted their futures after the trade. At BetMGM, the Celtics' title odds moved from +650 to +1400, while their Eastern Conference odds went from +260 to +450. The 76ers, treated as +6600 longshots before the deal, shortened to +2000 to win the championship and from +2000 to +700 in the conference. Since the announcement, 35% of all bets and 40% of the money wagered on next year's champion have backed Philadelphia.

The defending champion New York Knicks remain the Eastern Conference favorites at +325, followed by Boston and Philadelphia. Among other notable moves this week, the Toronto Raptors' odds shortened to +2200 after agreeing to bring back Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James's departure from the Los Angeles Lakers added uncertainty to the Western Conference picture.

Why the move happened

Sixers beat writer Tony Jones and Celtics writer Jay King, writing for The New York Times, explored the logic behind dealing a 29-year-old star to a bitter rival. Brown's durability was a central factor: he has played at least 60 games in each of the past five seasons, compared with George reaching that mark just once in seven years. With Joel Embiid's frequent absences, the Sixers gain a reliable perimeter threat to pair with Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe. The Celtics, meanwhile, absorb a 36-year-old George on a substantial contract while adding draft capital and resetting their core around Tatum upon his return.