The Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers on July 1 for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. It was the summer's most shocking move, prompting the question: Which team really won the trade?
The Trade
Philadelphia acquires Brown, entering his third year of a $285.3M supermax extension signed with Boston in 2023, with a cap hit of $57.08M in 2026-27.
Boston receives George, a 2028 first-round pick that can convert into a more favorable swap, and Philadelphia's own 2031 first-rounder, unprotected.
The second-round picks come with strings attached, too: the 2028 pick will be whichever is best among the Golden State Warriors', Oklahoma City Thunder's or Milwaukee Bucks' selections, and the 2030 pick whichever is best among the Washington Wizards', Portland Trail Blazers' or Phoenix Suns' selections. George is owed $54.1M next season, rising to $57.7M with his trade bonus, and has a $56.6M player option for 2027-28.
Philadelphia 76ers: A-
New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey did not waste time making his mark, and the return he generated for a declining, oft-injured George is difficult to argue with. Brown, who turns 30 in October, just posted career highs of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game while shouldering the offense for a 56-26 Boston team as Jayson Tatum recovered from a torn Achilles.
He earned All-NBA Second Team honors and finished sixth in MVP voting. Pairing him with Tyrese Maxey and rising star VJ Edgecombe gives Philadelphia a strong perimeter trio. If Joel Embiid stays healthy, the Sixers, a 24-58 team in 2024-25 that missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 and a team that overcame a 3-1 deficit to knock off the No. 2 seeded Celtics in the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs, will be serious contenders to win the 2026-2027 Eastern Conference title.
Philadelphia traded two first-round and two second-round picks, and George's contract became an anchor after injury-shortened seasons. He averaged 16.2 points in 41 games his first year with the Sixers and 17.3 in 37 games last season, which was disrupted by a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.
Getting rid of that money while acquiring a 29-year-old All-NBA wing in his prime is a win, despite questions about draft capital and fit with two ball-heavy guards, Maxey and Edgecombe, alongside Brown.
Philly #throwtheballup let’s get it pic.twitter.com/zdC6g1dTyM
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 2, 2026
Boston Celtics: C-
Boston's logic is hard to explain. Brown had just had arguably his best season, and the Celtics were reportedly using him as trade bait for Giannis Antetokounmpo before Milwaukee traded him to Miami. Instead of walking away, Brad Stevens pivoted to a deal with the 76ers, who upset Boston in the first round as the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead.
What makes the trade especially confusing for the Celtics is many in the NBA view George's contract as one of the worst in the league. Some felt that if Philadelphia was to get off of his deal, it would require legitimate draft compensation to do so. He is seven years older than Brown, has recently served a 25-game NBA suspension, and is still owed about $110 million between this season and his player option. None of the draft assets the Celtics are getting back hold great value, between a conditional 2028 first that might be a swap, a 2031 unprotected first in five years, and two seconds.
Brown has three years on his current contract and is eligible for an extension in July. Boston seems to have wanted out of this situation before having to make a massive supermax commitment on the wrong side of his 30s. However, having actual negotiations and trying to get a deal done at a smaller number could have been a more practical approach than making a trade in a panic to get a deal done.
This trade could work for Boston if George stays healthy, improves, and the Celtics go on a deep run with Tatum as the focal point. However, not only is that a lot of "ifs," but trading a 29-year-old coming off his best year for an older, injury-prone player with worse finances is a tough sell.
The Bigger Picture
The trade moves a player who left an indelible mark on Celtics' history. Brown ranks as the franchise's 10th-highest all-time scorer with 13,474 points and is seventh in postseason scoring, earning Finals MVP and Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors during the 2023-24 championship run.
This trade does not exist in a vacuum. Several stars changed addresses this summer, including Antetokounmpo, who went to Miami, and Ja Morant, who went to Portland. Brown is extension-eligible in Philadelphia, and how quickly the Sixers lock him up, along with George's performance in Boston, will influence how this trade is remembered by fall.
