Celtics introduce Paul George after Jaylen Brown trade — SkimNews
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- Paul George, 36, was formally introduced by the Celtics on Tuesday after a July trade with Philadelphia sent 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the 76ers — marking George's fifth NBA team and his clearest path back to relevance after a run of injuries with the Clippers and Sixers, including knee surgery before last season.
- George acknowledged the fan chorus upset about losing Brown but said he doesn't take it personally, telling reporters: 'they should have a relationship, emotionally, to that trade,' while insisting he feels 'great' physically and mentally and can keep Boston in contention.
- Boston paired the George acquisition with center Mitchell Robinson, fresh off winning a championship with the Knicks, and 38-year-old guard Mike Conley, preparing for his 20th NBA season and fourth team, in a roster reshape overseen by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
- Jayson Tatum is embarking on his first full season since tearing an Achilles tendon in May 2025; his abbreviated late-season return last year ended with him sidelined for Boston's Game 7 first-round playoff loss to George and the 76ers, making Tatum's health the hinge on which the new core's ceiling rests.
- Conley projected himself and George as ignition points, citing their shared lack of a championship ring: 'It's two guys who haven't had a chance to win a championship. So, it's that sense of urgency that maybe reignites that for the guys who've been on this team.'
- Stevens framed the changes as a blank canvas, pointing to the annually refurbished TD Garden court as a metaphor: 'Nobody's stepped on it. And now it's that year's team. To write its own chapter.'
Why it matters: The Celtics have swapped a 28-year-old Finals MVP for a 36-year-old on his fifth team, betting George's stated health and Conley's veteran edge can carry a roster built around a Tatum coming back from a torn Achilles — meaning Boston's 2025-26 outlook hinges entirely on whether George's 'turned the corner' claim survives contact with the regular season.
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