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Another All-NBA name is on the move.After failing to deal him during their foray into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, the Boston Celtics have agreed to a blockbuster trade that ships star forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for veteran Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round selections, a person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment on the matter.The picks in the deal include a 2028 first rounder that would turn into a pick swap if that turns out to be more favorable for the Celtics and an unprotected first rounder in the 2031 draft. The second-round picks are in 2028 and 2030.This is a clear signal that Philadelphia is looking to elevate itself into a championship contender in the East. The Sixers have made the playoffs eight of the last nine years but haven't advanced past the second round over that span. And with center Joel Embiid at 32 years old, Philadelphia’s window to win with the 2022-23 Most Valuable Player is winding down.With Brown, the 76ers now have a three-headed force on offense with Embiid, Brown and two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, whose 28.3 points per game last season ranked fifth in the league — just 0.4 points per game behind Brown.The Sixers have seen other teams in the East beef up, including the Heat acquiring Antetokounmpo, so this trade indicates that they feel they are among the top teams in the conference. Philadelphia also signed free agent Dean Wade, and VJ Edgecombe shined in his rookie season.George’s contract had been rather cumbersome and the Sixers are able to both offload it and bring back a younger, more talented player in Brown. George is due $54.1 million next season and has a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.The deal also breaks up the nine-year partnership of Brown and Jayson Tatum as the faces of the franchise and presents something of a new era in Boston. The Celtics appear to be building more toward the future, but with Tatum in his prime at 28 years old, the trade of Brown is dissonant with the timeline to win now.Brown was stellar for Boston this season, most of which was played without fellow star Tatum, who missed the first five months of the campaign recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon suffered deep in the 2025 playoffs.Brown averaged career-highs in points (28.7) and assists (5.1), while tying his career mark in rebounds (6.9), as the Celtics exceeded external expectations en route to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the East.Boston raced out to a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the playoffs against the 76ers but lost three consecutive games to crash out.That early exit led to several weeks of angst and uncertainty as the franchise weighed its future and roster construction. Despite Boston being just two years removed from an NBA championship, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens clearly felt the team was not built to compete for another title.The Celtics engaged with the Milwaukee Bucks for Antetokounmpo but lost out to the Heat, who offered a blend of young players and draft capital. Brown was a significant part of those discussions and was eventually dangled out in trade talks.Later, Stevens had called Brown integral to the team’s identity and culture, but he stopped short of reaffirming his future with the franchise."Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Stevens said on June 24. "I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about over the last few years, has been building around those guys. You never know."But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he has always been. He has been amazing. He has been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around."Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, is a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.
