Jaylen Brown found out his time with the Boston Celtics was truly over the hard way.
Brown revealed that after learning he had been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, he drove to the Celtics' facility to test whether the news was real.
"I went up to the facility, my key card got rejected. Damn, I just wanted to see if it was real, packed me up," he said on a livestream.
The trade sends Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks in 2028 and 2031, and two second-round picks in 2028 and 2030. New 76ers team president Mike Gansey reportedly orchestrated the deal for Philadelphia.
Brown checking if the news was real tracks with reports that the superstar never asked out of Boston. Per Hoops Rumors, ESPN's Shams Charania and the Globe's Adam Himmelsbach both reported he did not request a trade — and yet the Celtics had been fielding calls on him since at least June 21, when they first offered him as the centerpiece of a failed run at Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
The timing stings given Brown's 2025-26 season. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, all career highs, and guided Boston to a 56-26 record while Jayson Tatum sat for months with an Achilles injury. He finished sixth in MVP voting and earned All-NBA Second Team honors. He had grown frustrated with the organization's handling of his situation as Boston continued shopping him, per the Globe's Adam Himmelsbach.
The Celtics originally sought at least four first-round picks before settling for George plus the two-and-two package. What they are getting back raises concerns: George, 36, averaged 16.7 points across two seasons in Philadelphia, missed significant time with knee, adductor, and finger injuries, and was suspended 25 games for violating the league's anti-drug policy. He carries nearly $111 million over two more years, including a 2027-28 player option.
The reaction has been sharp. Celtics legend Robert Parish called the decision "disturbing" and a "serious miscalculation," saying "you don't get rid of a talent like Jaylen Brown unless he asked to be moved." Forbes' Mark Medina labeled it the worst trade in NBA history.
Brown, for his part, wasted little time. He posted on X, "Philly #throwtheballup let's get it," and will join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and rookie VJ Edgecombe in Philadelphia. He has three years and $183 million remaining on his deal and becomes extension-eligible July 26.
