Brown Calls Sixers Trade 'Crazy Transition'
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- Jaylen Brown was traded from the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers — the division rival that beat Boston in the first round of last season's playoffs — and said he 'wasn't that surprised' because his name had surfaced in trade talks throughout his 10 years with the Celtics.
- Brown acknowledged disappointment with the Celtics' communication, saying he 'threw my phone across the room' upon learning of the deal, and revealed Boston had offered him in trade discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo before shipping him to Philadelphia.
- Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was the first teammate to reach out after the trade, telling Brown 'we're excited to have you'; Brown has since been texting daily with Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James through the team's group chat.
- LeBron James, whom the Sixers also landed in free agency, publicly endorsed Brown for MVP in February after Brown's Celtics beat James' Lakers while Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles injury — Brown finished sixth in MVP voting after Boston's surprise second-place Eastern Conference finish.
- Brown said he and former co-star Jayson Tatum have 'not really' spoken since the trade, but stressed 'on my end, it's nothing but respect,' citing their championship together as a lifelong bond.
Why it matters: Brown, a four-time All-Star and former Finals MVP, now joins a Sixers roster featuring LeBron James and Joel Embiid, instantly reshaping the Eastern Conference hierarchy. The deal also effectively ends Boston's championship-era core, with the Brown-Tatum partnership — which produced a title — now tested as division rivals separated by a cross-conference trade route through Philadelphia.
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