Celtics' NBA Finals Odds Tank After Jaylen Brown-Paul George Swap with 76ers

The Jaylen Brown era in Boston is over.

The former NBA Finals MVP has been floated in trade rumors all offseason -- mainly in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes -- and Boston finally pulled the trigger, sending Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that nets it Paul George and draft capital.

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

It's a seismic move that has shaken up the odds to win the NBA Finals, especially the odds for Eastern Conference teams. Boston, which was the favorite to win the Eastern Conference heading into the offseason, is now fourth in the odds to win the title and behind the New York Knicks. The C's went from +650 to +1000 at DraftKings after the move, even though they added center Mitchell Robinson in free agency.

While George is a solid player, he is past his prime and didn't come close to Brown's production in the 2025-26 season. Boston gained some draft capital that could help it facilitate another move, but the downgrade from Brown to George is hard to look past.

Brown was an All-NBA performer in the 2025-26 season, leading the C's to the No. 2 seed in the East even though Jayson Tatum missed most of the campaign. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from 3.

On the other hand, George appeared in just 37 games and averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from 3. George is a better 3-point shooter than Brown, but he may not be able to take over on nights where Tatum is out of the lineup. The C's clearly are building around Tatum, though it's shocking that they broke up their superstar duo -- that has won a title -- for an aging player in George.

Philadelphia's odds made a massive jump with Brown now in the fold, going from +5500 to +2500, putting them in a tie with Minnesota, Miami, Detroit and Denver for the sixth-best odds to win the Finals. Brown will join a core of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, and it's worth noting that the Sixers eliminated Boston in the first round of the playoffs in the 2025-26 season.

The Atlantic Division now has the four top teams in the Eastern Conference in the odds to win the NBA Finals, as the New York Knicks (+850) are third, Boston (+1000) is fourth, Toronto (+2200) is fifth and Philly (+2500) is tied for sixth.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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