Celtics trade Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George and picks

The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and a package of draft picks, according to reports — a blockbuster that ends Brown's near-decade in Boston and reshapes the Eastern Conference.

Aisha Carter July 2, 2026 at 12:20 AM

One of the NBA's marquee wings is on the move. The Boston Celtics have agreed to send Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a major offseason trade, according to multiple reports, a deal that breaks up the core of a recent championship contender.

The deal

Boston will receive forward Paul George along with draft compensation, ESPN reported, citing sources. The Celtics are set to get two first-round picks, in 2028 and 2031, and two second-round picks, according to the Boston Globe. The 2031 first-round pick is unprotected, while the 2028 selection could instead become a pick swap favorable to Boston. As with most offseason trades reported by sources, the teams had not formally announced the move at the time of reporting.

The end of an era in Boston

Brown, 29, spent roughly a decade with the Celtics after being drafted third overall in 2016, developing into an All-Star and, in 2024, the Finals MVP as Boston won the title. ESPN reported that Brown had not asked to be traded, but that the Celtics had been actively exploring deals involving him. In George, Boston takes on a proven, if older, All-Star forward, along with the draft capital that often accompanies such reshaping trades.

A bet for Philadelphia

For the 76ers, acquiring a two-way star in his prime is a clear push to contend now, pairing Brown with center Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey. The move adds another high-scoring wing to a roster built around Embiid's interior presence, and analysts were quick to weigh whether it lifts Philadelphia into the top tier of the Eastern Conference.

Part of a busy offseason

The trade caps a period of upheaval at the top of the East. According to reports, Boston had earlier pursued a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Milwaukee Bucks star was instead traded elsewhere, and the Celtics ultimately pivoted to the Brown deal. With stars changing teams across the conference, the balance of power in the East looks set to shift again — though, as ever, how these reshaped rosters actually perform will only become clear once the season begins.