Nearly eight weeks ago, the Philadelphia 76ers ended their season with an embarrassing 30-point home loss to the New York Knicks, completing a second round playoff series sweep. The crowd was filled with Knicks fans, many of whom bought tickets from 76ers’ supporters who were accustomed to postseason disappointment.
Now, the 76ers have some hope, as the franchise on Wednesday agreed to a deal for Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and other news reports. The 76ers are sending forward Paul George to the Celtics, along with two first round draft picks and two second round picks, per Charania.
The stunning move comes after the Celtics reportedly sought to trade Brown for Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead, the Bucks dealt Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat for four players and three first round picks. But Charania reported that the Celtics kept seeing what was out there for Brown, whom Boston selected with the third overall choice in the 2016 draft.
Brown, who turns 30 in October, is coming off the best season of his career. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, all career-highs. He was second team All-NBA and finished sixth in the Most Valuable Player award voting.
Brown is entering the third year of a five-year, $285.4 million contract he signed with Boston starting in 2024. He will earn $57 million this coming season, $61 million in the 2027-28 season and nearly $65 million in the 2028-29 season. Meanwhile, George is set to make $54.1 million this coming season and has a player option for $56.6 million in the 2027-28 season, after which he can become an unrestricted free agent.
For the 76ers, Brown is a clear upgrade over George, who turns 36 in October and has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years. The 76ers signed George to a four-year, $212 million deal two summers ago, hoping he would add another piece to a team built around center Joel Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey. But George played just 41 games in the 2024-25 season and 37 last season, when he was suspended for 25 games late in the regular season for violating the league’s drug policy.
In the first round of the playoffs, George helped the 76ers overcome a three games to one deficit and defeat the Celtics in seven games. He did an admirable job defending Brown and forward Jayson Tatum and averaged 17.4 points per game, including 23 in Game 6. But George wasn’t as effective in the second round against the Knicks, which ended up winning their first title since 1973.
Now, with Brown aboard, the 76ers are in a much better position to compete against the Knicks and other top Eastern Conference opponents. And they are paying top dollar for a team built around Brown; Embiid, who is entering the first of a three-year, $187.9 million contract; and Maxey, who is owed $130.7 million over the next three seasons. They also have a promising young player in 20 year old guard VJ Edgecombe, who averaged 16 points per game last season and was third in the Rookie of the Year voting. The 76ers are paying Edgecombe $11.6 million this coming season and have club options for $12.2 million and $15.4 million the following two seasons.
Embiid, a 7-foot center who turns 33 next March, is still one of the league’s best players when healthy, although the franchise cannot rely on him to be on the court. He was the NBA’s MVP in the 2022-23 season. But in the past three seasons, he has played just 39, 19 and 38 regular season games.
Still, by adding Brown, the 76ers won’t have to be as concerned if Embiid’s health continues to be an issue. Brown has played in at least 63 games in each of the past five seasons and is one of the best two-way forwards in the league. He should fit in well alongside Maxey, a 6-foot-2 guard who turns 26 in November. Maxey last season averaged a career-high 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Brown also gives the 76ers someone with vast playoff experience, something the franchise desperately needs. Since entering the league, Brown has played in 142 postseason games, more than any player in the NBA during that stretch. He helped the Celtics make six conference finals, advance to the 2022 finals and win the 2024 championship, when he was named the finals MVP.
The 76ers, meanwhile, haven’t made the conference finals since 2001, which was before Brown’s fifth birthday. Since then, the franchise has undergone various changes, including adding players such as Jimmy Butler, James Harden and George in recent years in an attempt to build around Embiid, to no avail.
Brown, though, is in the prime of his career and no doubt eager to prove the Celtics wrong for trading him after a decade in Boston. Two months after another frustrating playoff finish, the 76ers now look ahead with a reasonable expectation to be among the conference favorites next season.