FILE – Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) attacks the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series on April 21, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
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Less than two months after a humbling end to their season, the Philadelphia 76ers have made a major move to reshape their future. Their campaign ended with a 30-point home defeat to the New York Knicks, who completed a second-round playoff sweep in an arena packed with visiting fans after many Philadelphia supporters sold their seats amid another postseason letdown.
The outlook in Philadelphia looks far different now. The 76ers reached an agreement Wednesday to acquire Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and multiple reports. In return, Philadelphia will send veteran forward Paul George to Boston along with two first-round draft picks and two second-round selections, Charania reported.
The blockbuster deal follows reports that Boston had explored moving Brown in a potential trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. That pursuit did not materialize, as the Bucks instead sent Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat in exchange for four players and three first-round picks. Still, Charania reported that the Celtics continued to gauge the market for Brown, whom they drafted No. 3 overall in 2016.
Brown, who will turn 30 in October, is coming off the strongest season of his NBA career. He posted career highs across the board with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. His performance earned him second-team All-NBA honors, and he finished sixth in voting for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
The financial stakes are significant. Brown is entering the third season of a five-year, $285.4 million contract he signed with the Celtics beginning in 2024. He is due $57 million this season, $61 million in 2027-28 and nearly $65 million in 2028-29. George, meanwhile, is owed $54.1 million this season and holds a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28. If he declines it, he can become an unrestricted free agent.
For Philadelphia, Brown represents a major upgrade over George, who turns 36 in October and has struggled to stay on the court in recent seasons. The 76ers signed George to a four-year, $212 million contract two summers ago, envisioning him as a key complement to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Instead, George appeared in only 41 games during the 2024-25 season and 37 games last season, when he also served a 25-game suspension late in the regular season for violating the NBA’s drug policy.
In the first round of the playoffs, George helped the 76ers overcome a three games to one deficit and defeat the Celtics in seven games. He did an admirable job defending Brown and forward Jayson Tatum and averaged 17.4 points per game, including 23 in Game 6. But George wasn’t as effective in the second round against the Knicks, which ended up winning their first title since 1973.
Now, with Brown aboard, the 76ers are in a much better position to compete against the Knicks and other top Eastern Conference opponents. And they are paying top dollar for a team built around Brown; Embiid, who is entering the first of a three-year, $187.9 million contract; and Maxey, who is owed $130.7 million over the next three seasons. They also have a promising young player in 20 year old guard VJ Edgecombe, who averaged 16 points per game last season and was third in the Rookie of the Year voting. The 76ers are paying Edgecombe $11.6 million this coming season and have club options for $12.2 million and $15.4 million the following two seasons.
Embiid, a 7-foot center who turns 33 next March, is still one of the league’s best players when healthy, although the franchise cannot rely on him to be on the court. He was the NBA’s MVP in the 2022-23 season. But in the past three seasons, he has played just 39, 19 and 38 regular season games.
Still, by adding Brown, the 76ers won’t have to be as concerned if Embiid’s health continues to be an issue. Brown has played in at least 63 games in each of the past five seasons and is one of the best two-way forwards in the league. He should fit in well alongside Maxey, a 6-foot-2 guard who turns 26 in November. Maxey last season averaged a career-high 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Brown also gives the 76ers someone with vast playoff experience, something the franchise desperately needs. Since entering the league, Brown has played in 142 postseason games, more than any player in the NBA during that stretch. He helped the Celtics make six conference finals, advance to the 2022 finals and win the 2024 championship, when he was named the finals MVP.
The 76ers, meanwhile, haven’t made the conference finals since 2001, which was before Brown’s fifth birthday. Since then, the franchise has undergone various changes, including adding players such as Jimmy Butler, James Harden and George in recent years in an attempt to build around Embiid, to no avail.
Brown, though, is in the prime of his career and no doubt eager to prove the Celtics wrong for trading him after a decade in Boston. Two months after another frustrating playoff finish, the 76ers now look ahead with a reasonable expectation to be among the conference favorites next season.
