​The Boston Celtics targeted Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, but after missing on him, they pivoted and acquired Paul George in a blockbuster trade that has left fans and pundits puzzled. reports indicated that Boston kept exploring deals involving Jaylen Brown even after the Antetokounmpo run, with ESPN’s Shams Charania noting that the Celtics were “full-blown shopping” Brown around the league, though Brown apparently never asked for a trade. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens ultimately sent Brown, 29, to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a 36-year-old George and four draft picks, according to Charania. The compensation reportedly included a 2028 first-round pick that could flip into a more favorable first-to-swap, a 2031 unprotected Sixers first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick (the most favorable of the Warriors, Thunder and Bucks), and a 2030 second-round pick (the most favorable of the Wizards, Trail Blazers and Suns).
Reaction to the trade was swift and mixed across the league. Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey weighed in on social media, writing, “The nba is doing that THING AGAIN!” after the news broke. Maxey helped the Sixers eliminate Brown’s Celtics in the first round of last season’s playoffs, including Philadelphia’s historic 3-1 comeback, and they hadn’t defeated Boston in the playoffs since 1982. Brown’s recent comments on Embiid, captured in a Twitch stream where he accused Embiid of flopping but also praised him as one of the greatest big men in basketball history, added another layer to the discourse surrounding the deal. Over the two seasons George spent with the Sixers, he suited up for just 36 regular-season games alongside Embiid and Maxey, a rarity given his status as a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection who signed a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with Philadelphia in 2024.
Analysts and observers weighed in on the swap, with former NBA veteran Quentin Richardson stating on ESPN’s SportsCenter that the move benefits both teams. He argued that Boston, after failing to land Giannis and moving Brown, redirected its plans and pursued a deal that included two first-rounders, a strategy he felt was sensible for the Celtics, who also bolstered their depth with free-agent additions such as center Mitchell Robinson and guard Mike Conley Jr. The broader implications of the trade for both franchises remain a topic of discussion as the league digests the new landscape.