Celtics under fire after Jaylen Brown trade: “It was highway robbery”
The trade sending Jaylen Brown away has divided NBA insiders: Brown’s supermax contract, Brad Stevens’ thinking, and what’s next for the Boston Celtics
The blockbuster trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two future first-round picks and two future second-round picks continues to spark sharply divided opinions across the NBA.
While Philadelphia’s front office immediately capitalized on Brown’s arrival to pursue moves in free agency – with LeBron James reportedly at the top of its wishlist – Boston is facing growing skepticism over the elite talent it gave up by trading the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, as well as questions surrounding the team’s outlook for the 2026-27 season.
The harshest criticism came from The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, who shared the anonymous reaction of an NBA general manager:
This trade was highway robbery. I have no idea what Brad Stevens was thinking. The Celtics will be lucky if they even make the Play-In Tournament next year
Jeff Goodman
A very different perspective came from insider Chris Haynes during The Association on NBA TV. According to Haynes, the Celtics’ front office views the trade primarily through a business and financial lens. Team executives reportedly believe they have optimized the roster’s salary structure for the coming seasons and are pleased with the team’s new construction.
Reports have also dismissed the idea that the trade was triggered by a formal trade request from Brown, contradicting speculation that he had grown unhappy following Boston’s previous pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead, the decision to move on from the All-Star wing reportedly originated within the Celtics’ front office.
This was their big move, and they feel really optimistic about where they’ve positioned themselves. They like the way the roster is built heading into next season
Chris Haynes
As Tony Jones reported in The Athletic, Brown’s polarizing personality and the financial burden of his supermax contract – he is set to earn $183 million of his $306 million deal over the next three years – had gradually strained his relationship with team president Brad Stevens, ultimately leading to what Jones described as a trade well below the player’s true market value.
He’s also a polarizing figure – thoughtful, articulate, outspoken, expensive – and apparently had fallen so far out of favor with Brad Stevens and the rest of Boston’s front office that he was traded for significantly less than his actual value
Tony Jones via The Athletic
From a purely basketball standpoint, the statistical comparison between the two players highlights an immediate drop in Boston’s offensive firepower. Brown finished sixth in NBA MVP voting last season after averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field. George, now 36 and dealing with the wear and tear of a long career, posted 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 43.9% shooting.
Boston has partially addressed the loss of Brown’s physicality and downhill scoring by signing center Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $41 million contract, a move that appears to conclude the franchise’s major roster reshaping during this free-agency period.
The team’s leadership and locker-room chemistry will now rest squarely on Jayson Tatum, who is working his way back from a serious Achilles injury. Head coach Joe Mazzulla faces the challenge of rebuilding a system that, at least for now, appears well short of the physicality and talent level that carried the Celtics to an NBA championship.