Tatum on Brown’s trade to the Sixers: “The NBA is a business”
After nine seasons together, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will now be rivals in the Eastern Conference. Here’s what the Celtics star had to say about the most talked-about trade of the summer
The breakup of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has left a lasting mark on the Boston Celtics. After spending nine years side by side, reaching two NBA Finals, and winning the championship in 2024, the faces of the franchise will now meet as opponents.
Tatum addressed the blockbuster trade for the first time, sharing his thoughts on the deal that sent Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.
If I’m being honest, it’s weird. I’ve been with the Celtics for nine years, and he’s been my teammate that entire time. You understand that over the course of a career, the NBA is a business. Players change teams, coaches change, front offices change too. But that doesn’t make it any easier
Jayson Tatum
It was a deeply human reaction from the Celtics star, who emphasized that every front-office decision also involves real relationships and emotions built over time.
There’s still a human side to it. You have emotions, and the city does too. At the same time, we have to welcome our new teammates with open arms and get ready for the new season. You have to find that balance, but yeah, it’s weird
Jayson Tatum
Tatum on the rivalry with the Sixers: “You beat us once…”
One of the aspects that sparked the most debate among Celtics fans was the fact that Jaylen Brown was traded to the 76ers, a division rival.
When asked whether it would feel strange seeing Brown in a Philadelphia uniform, Tatum responded with a playful jab at ESPN reporter Kevin Negandhi, a well-known Sixers fan.
You beat us once
Jayson Tatum
It was a reminder of Boston’s dominance over Philadelphia in recent years, while also reflecting the competitive mindset Tatum will bring into this new rivalry.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens also admitted he would have preferred not to trade Brown to a direct rival.
If that same offer had come from a Western Conference team, we probably would have preferred it… but that’s not how it happened
Brad Stevens
Brad Stevens: The Tatum-Brown duo had become too difficult to sustain
The decision to break up one of the NBA’s most successful duos in recent years was also driven by the league’s new salary cap rules and the challenge of building a competitive roster with so much financial commitment tied to two players.
When I looked at our team, the direction the league is heading, and the way our last few seasons ended, the path just seemed more difficult. With 70% of the salary cap and such a high percentage of our offensive usage tied to two players, it felt like a much tougher road
Brad Stevens
It was a risky decision that closed a historic chapter in Boston. Now, however, the NBA turns its attention to the next one: Jayson Tatum versus Jaylen Brown – from longtime teammates and friends to rivals battling for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.