Adding more surprise and awe to the already active NBA offscreen, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a major trade, according to the one and only. Shams Charania. According to ESPN senior analyst, Boston is trading Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round draft picks.
The news comes after weeks of speculation that the Celtics were entertaining breaking up the blockbuster pairing of Brown and Jayson Tatum after the team blew a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and lost in Game 7 of the series. While the Celtics were rumored to be entertaining multiple offers, ironically the 76ers’ conference rivals had the perfect offer.
Did Boston really appreciate Jaylen Brown?
Respectfully, I’m not here to pass judgment on Celtics president Brad Stevens. Unless there is a lot of tension in the Celtics locker room, especially between Brown and Tatum, I can’t understand breaking them up and sending Brown out. Certainly, the team’s faltering from a 3–1 lead was almost inexcusable. However, Brown and Tatum have a proven track record of winning championships together. Also, let’s not forget that Tatum was out for most of last season, only returning in April. That didn’t leave a lot of time for the lineup to work out all the kinks and adjustments needed to get Tatum back on the roster for a championship-caliber run.
This leads us to Brown’s phenomenal year with the Celtics. He had the best year of his career, and Boston benefited greatly from it, especially with Tatum being out with a ruptured Achilles tendon. according to basketball referenceBrown averaged 28.9 points, 5 assists and 7.2 rebounds. Although he was not the only reason for the Celtics’ success, he carried a huge load for the team this season and was the leader that Boston needed.
76ers are now real contenders for the championship title
Provided Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey remain healthy during the season, adding Brown to the 76ers’ roster makes them a bigger threat in the Eastern Conference. Embiid and Maxi were already an impressive duo, but adding one of the best two-way players in the league to the mix has arguably made them the “Big Three.”
Furthermore, Brown has always struck me as someone people regret underappreciating. I expect him to play like he has something to prove and a big accomplishment on his shoulders, so he’ll likely have another exceptional year. But hey, what do you think?
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