Paul George Addresses Brown Trade at Celtics Intro — SkimNews
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- Paul George, 36, was introduced in Boston on Tuesday after the July trade sent 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia — George said fans "should have a relationship, emotionally, to that trade" but insisted his job is reestablishing himself as a player.
- The Celtics also acquired Mitchell Robinson (fresh off a Knicks championship) and Mike Conley (entering his 20th NBA season with his fourth team) as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens remade the roster around Jayson Tatum, who is returning from a torn Achilles suffered in May 2025.
- George, a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection, is slated to be Tatum's tag-team partner in the starting lineup, stepping into the void left by Brown's departure.
- George said knee surgery and a run of injuries with the LA Clippers and 76ers are "in the rearview" and that he feels "great" physically and mentally heading into training camp, which opens in two weeks.
- Mike Conley, 38, said he and George both bring "instant motivation" as two veterans who haven't won a championship, with Conley expected to back up Derrick White and Payton Pritchard and Robinson likely backing up starting center Neemias Queta.
Why it matters: The Celtics' 2024 title core is broken up: Brown is in Philadelphia, Tatum is returning from a May 2025 torn Achilles, and Stevens has remade the roster around three veterans in their late 30s. George's role is the biggest swing — replacing a 2024 Finals MVP while coming off knee surgery and admitting the last few years were "rough with injuries."
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