The Boston Celtics are making a major move, agreeing to send All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in return for veteran forward Paul George and four draft picks, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.
According to ESPN, the draft package heading to Boston includes two first-round selections — a 2028 pick that could include a swap favorable to Boston, and an unprotected 2031 pick — along with two second-round picks in 2028 and 2030. Brown, who finished sixth in NBA MVP voting this past season, put up career-best numbers with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
Brown’s standing in Boston had been in question after he was reportedly offered as the centerpiece of a failed bid to acquire Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. He still has three years remaining on the five-year, $285 million supermax contract he signed back in July 2023.
The 29-year-old has been a Celtics fixture since Boston selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Over 674 games across 10 seasons, he has posted averages of 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. A five-time All-Star and two-time second-team All-NBA selection, Brown earned NBA Finals MVP honors when the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks for the 2024 championship.
In Philadelphia, Brown will join former MVP Joel Embiid and standout guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, giving the 76ers a roster that could suddenly emerge as a serious Eastern Conference threat.
George, 36, spent the past two seasons in Philadelphia following earlier stints with the Indiana Pacers from 2010 to 2017, the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2017 to 2019, and the Los Angeles Clippers from 2019 to 2024. Knee, adductor, and finger injuries plagued his time with the Sixers, limiting him to just 78 games over those two seasons. The nine-time All-Star has put up 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game across 945 games over 16 NBA seasons.
