Stephen A. Smith Jaylen Brown is now tied to a trade that sends him to the Philadelphia 76ers and ends six seasons with the Boston Celtics. The move closes the run of a player who became central to Boston’s core from his first NBA season.
Oct. 18, 2022 in Boston
On Oct. 18, 2022, Brown stood on opening night for the Boston Celtics in Boston and spoke about Bill Russell. He was 25 years old, already an All-Star once, and still not an NBA champion.
“But undoubtedly, Bill Russell was a great man for what and who he stood for. During the peak of racial tension in our society, he represented a type of nobility and honor that transcended sports.”
That tribute fit the place Brown had built with the Celtics. All six of his NBA seasons had come in Boston, and his voice carried weight because he had already become more than a rotation piece.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum
The trade lands after a stretch in which Brown stepped up big time and carried the team for much of the season. Jayson Tatum was also playing his way back to Hall of Fame-bound status after crashing to the floor at Madison Square Garden in May 2025, which made Brown’s role in Boston even more visible.
Brown had also been careful about his place in the pecking order, and he called the past season his favorite. That creates the friction in the deal: a player described as a strong fit, one who delivered on the court and fit the group around him, is still the one sent out the door.
Philadelphia 76ers move
For the Boston Celtics, the trade ends a six-season partnership with a player who helped define the current era. For Philadelphia, it brings in a proven Eastern Conference name with a history that reaches back to his first Celtics season and the opening-night tribute to Bill Russell.
The immediate change is simple: Boston has to replace Brown’s production and presence, while Brown has to reset in Philadelphia after years of being identified with the Celtics. The unanswered question is why Boston chose to move on from a player who had become one of its most trusted pieces.
