Following the trades of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard, the last superstar left that would inevitably get moved was Jaylen Brown. Well, he’s officially gone; the Boston Celtics gave him up to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. This type of return is nothing for Boston, especially considering who George is at this stage of his career, and when he begins to showcase he’s far from an All-Star in the season-opener, they’ll realize Brown was worth so much more.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
That’s a tough way for Brad Stevens and fans of the Celtics to learn they messed up, but they had it coming for them one way or another. Because what in the world made them give up Brown, who was playing at an MVP level for the Celtics during the 2025-26 season, for an aging George and some draft picks?
Paul George is not who the Boston Celtics think he is
The LA Clippers, and now Philadelphia 76ers, are well aware that, at the moment, Paul George is nothing more than a high-end role player. Can he step it up at times, and become a real threat on both sides of the ball? Yes. George did in the playoffs for the 76ers, as they came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics (ironically).
Still, that doesn’t change the fact that George hasn’t been at the All-Star level for years. Rather, he has far less burst, shot-making ability, and defensive prowess than he did years prior.
This past season, George averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, shooting 43.9% from the field and 39.2% from a distance. These numbers are slightly better than his first year as a 76er.
That said, the Celtics may have been fooled in the postseason into thinking George is still a legitimate star, but now that they gave up Jaylen Brown for him, they’re in for an extremely rude awakening.
In addition, the Celtics are stuck paying George a ridiculous salary. They’ll owe the former Clipper $54.1 million next season, and $56.5 million in the one after, which is a player option that he will likely accept given how much money will be put into his pockets.
There is not a ton to find appealing about George, yet the Celtics disagreed, and that’s something they will regret a ton when they realize what they got themselves into.
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