Celtics' Jaylen Brown Gets Candid About 'New Era' in Boston

Oct 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7), guard Jrue Holiday (4) and guard Derrick White (9) react after a play against the New York Knicks in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Four-time All-Star Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown has acknowledged that the club's total roster revamp over the summer has ushered in a "new era" for the franchise during a recent live stream, as captured by Celtics Blog's Noa Dalzell.

Jaylen Brown said it feels like a new era for the Celtics on his stream today:

“Half the team is gone. I wish them the best. I appreciate them. They were great teammates… it’s a new era, everything has kind of changed and shifted.” pic.twitter.com/EMF5aawU8o

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) September 20, 2025

“It’s a new era of the Celtics. It feels like a new era,” Brown said. “Half the team is gone. I wish them the best. I appreciate them. They were great teammates, so it’s kind of sad to see them go. But it’s a new era. Everything has kind of changed and shifted. We’ll see what we’ve got.”

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When six-time All-Star Boston power forward Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the playoffs, it killed not just the Celtics' 2025 title aspirations but likely their 2026 hopes, too.

Understanding this, and looking to save cash for new controlling owner Bill Chisholm, Boston president Brad Stevens traded away the $32.4 million contract of six-time All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday and the $30.7 million salary of former one-time All-Star starting center Kristaps Porzingis.

Holiday was moved to the Portland Trail Blazers in a straight-up deal for scoring guard Anfernee Simons, nine years Holiday's junior but a defensive sieve. Porzingis is now likely to be Onyeka Okongwu's backup on the ascendant Atlanta Hawks. Stevens also shipped off his subsequent trade haul, stretch forward Georges Niang and a second-round draft pick, to the Utah Jazz for a trade exception and a two-way player, rookie wing RJ Luis Jr.

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Stevens also flipped point guard JD Davison to dip below the league's punitive second luxury tax apron. Free agent center Luke Kornet inked a three-season $41 million deal to play for the San Antonio Spurs behind All-Star starter Victor Wembanyama.

Free agent power forward/center Al Horford — who has inarguably been more valuable during the actual playoffs than the constantly-ailing Porzingis ever was — is said to have a "verbal agreement" to join the Golden State Warriors, likely as their new floor-spacing starting center, according to longtime NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson.

Boston's Biggest Absence in 2025-26

Beyond these departures, of course, Brown won't be playing alongside Tatum, his lone constant as a teammate since Tatum was selected with the third overall pick out of Duke in 2017.

The 2024 Finals MVP will now become the Celtics' offensive fulcrum. Although he's a bit more limited than Tatum (he's not as consistent a 3-point shooter and doesn't have quite the same handle), he can still score in bunches, and remains a solid defender.

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