The Truth Behind the Celtics Trading Jaylen Brown

All right.

The Boston Celtics held their first media availability since the Jalen Brown trade became official.

Uh, Jalen Brown gone.

Paul George, two first-round picks are in on Monday.

Brad Stevens, Bill Chisholm.

They met the media.

They spoke for about 45 minutes, but what did they say exactly?

And did they say anything?

That'll answer some of the outstanding questions.

I was there, so wasn't Jay King, the kid from the athletic, Celtics reporter, uh, was in the room as well.

Jay, I guess, uh, let me just start big picture there then with you.

Um, did you walk away from that press conference with, uh, any of the answers you were looking for?

I think Brad laid out the In the most broad way possible, like trying to be super nice to Jalen, trying to be super respectful of a player who meant so much to the Celtics franchise throughout the years.

laid out the reasoning for his trade.

And the biggest reason in Brad's eyes was that the same championship path that the Celtics took in 2024 was not going to be in his eyes.

A real option.

And, and that's, that was kind of the basis for all this.

The, the idea that they couldn't replicate the 2024 supporting cast again because unlike in 2024, The, it's just not as feasible .

Like the Celtics, as, as Brad put it, you know, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown are now making up 70% of the salary cap.

Back then, he said it was 47%.

And back then, that meant you could add Chris Ashforzingis, you could add Drew Holiday, you could have Al Horford.

You could put together this loaded experience.

Group of former All-Stars around those guys.

And I think Brad just didn't see a path to doing that.

The other thing that he implied throughout all of this, and what he really implied during an end of season press conference as well, was that as much as the Celtics won during the regular season this past year, he didn't see that, he didn't see them as a viable championship contender.

Like, he didn't think you could just go out and sign Mitchell Robinson and run back the same group and And put yourself in, in great position to, to win another championship.

He thought this team needed a bigger shakeup, and obviously, there are a lot of emotions involved in that.

Obviously, the way the summer played out, I don't think was how the Celtics anticipated things going, but at the end of the day, they felt like this was a better path forward for them than than continuing to try to, to fit.

You know, the right pieces around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, because the way that they were able to succeed with those guys a couple of years ago just, just wasn't going to be able to happen anymore.

You know, logically, practically, I can, I can see what they're saying, right?

Like it is a lot of money you're paying to two guys.

Um, and you don't have the supporting cast built-in.

Um, I think the bigger question that I came with still really wasn't explained all that great, was why this deal was the best deal on the table and why they were eager to do this, like, not willing to do this , but eager to do this.

I mean, they got this deal for all intents and purposes done.

You know, 48 hours into, or 24 hours into official free agency.

Like they were looking to make a deal and from the outside, it looked like they just took whatever offer they could possibly get.

Um, You know, Paul George, I know they like to point to his All-Star credentials, what he did in the first round of the playoffs.

He played 78 games the last two years.

He's got a bum knee.

He's 36 years old.

He is a jump shooter at this phase of his career, um, which is another note of like, you know, they want to put more pressure on the rim.

Paul George does not do that.

Um, the first-round picks are nice.

Certainly, if you trade them, they're probably even better.

But if you're looking to maximize the next 4 years of Jayson Tatum, the prime years of his career, neither those first-round picks, if you use them, are gonna do it.

Um, again, I, I can see, you know, I can see my way to understanding the basketball reasons behind dealing Jalen Brown and getting off the situation where there are two, you know, full max guys, supermax guys on your books.

It is complicated.

With today's aprons and, and salary thresholds.

I still, Jay, can't really understand why this particular deal was done and why this deal was done so quickly.

Did you come away with any clarity on that end of, of all this?

Not really.

And I, I do think he was very, Like he did not want to disrespect Jalen Brown at all.

Obviously, Jalen is frustrated with the way that the Celtics handled themselves over the offseason.

I'm sure he's frustrated with the way they valued him.

And like he, he came out and said basically that That the, the way that They went about things, he considered it disrespectful.

So I think Brad was very aware of that and Like he said he was sorry to Jalen, and the whole thing seemed to me like, like he was trying to be as delicate as possible with the Jalen stuff.

Um, but yeah, you're right.

Uh, there are people around the NBA that believe the Celtics operated like they were under duress, and, and like they had to trade Jalen Brown.

Brad said straight up today that they didn't feel like they had to trade Jalen.

And that if they didn't find a deal they, they consider right, that they, they would have been open to the idea of bringing him back.

Do you buy that?

I, I think, um, sure didn't act like it, sure didn't act like a team that was willing to do that.

I think that.

For a lot of reasons, they felt it was right to do this move right now.

And And there are, it's complicated, like everything that goes into that, but number one, I I, I do believe Brad when he said like, they did not believe the Tatum Brown.

Combo, given today's financial realities and given the current of how much they're making, would be the best way to get a championship.

But, but why now?

I think there's a, a more complicated answer to that.

And I think part of it is Jalen was due for a contract extension this summer, eligible for one.

And so you have to make a decision on him one way or the other.

Then obviously, as things progress, and I don't know exactly what point this was, but Jalen started to Express frustration and feel frustration and I think they realized that even if they brought Jalen Brown back, There would be a problem and they would have to mend that relationship and fix things.

And I, I also believe that they foresaw possible problems between Jalen Brown and Jayson Tatum, not from a personal standpoint.

Those guys have been through a lot together.

They, they've always, like, I don't think they're best friends or anything, but like, they've always had a very good business relationship.

But I think the way that Jalen succeeded last year in a, a number one role and with the freedom that the Celtics granted to him, I think the Celtics felt like Putting him back in a different role and, and having the hierarchy basically go back to the way it was, which I believe they would have wanted to do that they foresaw possible issues there.

And, and so I just think at the end of the day, like the entire, the franchise just wasn't on the same page with Jalen about what his value was either, like, Basketball-wise, or potentially contract-wise with the contract extension stuff.

And so I just think at the, at the end of the day, like there was gonna be some real friction there and the Celtics felt urgency to kind of avoid that is, is how I would put it.

Yeah, I, I can see that and I've heard some of that same stuff from different people over the last, uh, couple of days.

I would say this, like, if they brought Jalen Brown back, Couple that with the Mitchell Robinson signing lesser degree, Mike Conley.

Where would you put the Celtics in the Eastern Conference?

Like right now?

I mean, Jalen Duran, who knows what's gonna happen to him in Detroit.

They've already taken some hits out there with Tobias Harris gone.

Uh, New York, still New York, still the champs, but they just lost their backup center who gave them real minutes and like everything broke right for the Knicks last year, the playoffs, just like everything broke right for the Celtics when they won their championships.

When things break right, it, it, it works out for you.

Uh, but with Jalen Brown, are they, I mean, they're at least to me, co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference.

And you can sit there and say, not you, but others can say like, hey, you're not ready to beat San Antonio or Oklahoma City.

To me, you worry about that when it comes.

Like you don't know what's gonna happen in the Western Conference.

Like Victor Webayama, somebody could run to his knee during the playoffs.

The Thunder just experienced a bunch of injuries, a rash of injuries.

Denver, they're, they're in flux right now.

I, I, I do think that with Jalen Brown, they're the co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference next season.

Um, and that's, that's a big risk to take breaking up a team that, that may have that potential.

Yeah, and, and I think that speaks to How much the Celtics thought this was the right move and the right time to do it.

The fact that they were willing to trade him to Philadelphia for what everyone saw as an underwhelming package.

Like they were willing to get bashed, they were willing to get criticized, they were willing.

To risk the possibility that Jalen goes to Philadelphia and crushes it, and a team that hasn't been out of the 2nd round in forever suddenly goes on a deep playoff run because of the player that you just handed to them.

And so I, I think that speaks to, The, just how much belief the Celtics had for whatever reason.

I think it was very complex and complicated.

Um, but that, that their belief was very strong that dealing Jalen at this time was appropriate because otherwise, Like The backlash there and, and the possibility that like you said, this turns the seventy-Sixers into Eastern Conference favorites.

There are a lot of reasons to not make this trade.

And, and so Brad Stevens putting his neck on the line, putting his reputation on the line and doing this, I think, Just goes to show how much conviction he had that that they needed a change.

It was correctly noted that the Utah Jazz got more for Walker Kessler than the Celtics got for Jalen Brown.

You don't think that should be the case.

I, I don't.

I don't.

I don't think that.

On another note, I don't think I also think on the Lakers' perspective, you don't pay.

The center that's gonna play opposite Luka Doncic.

You let Luka Doncic make that center worthy of getting paid.

I think that's what Luca does.

Um, I don't think there's a need to go full max or whatever it was for Walker Cass.

That's a conversation for another day.

Um, why do you think that the market was as soft as it was, so soft that the return for Jalen Brown is a very faded ex All-Star and a couple of first-round picks with potential to be good.

The There are a lot of reasons why it kind of went the way it did.

But if you look at teams around the league that were willing to shake things up, a lot of them, Went for other targets.

Toronto added Kawhi.

The, the Timberwolves expressed interest in Jalen, and they went with Lamelo Ball instead.

There, there are a number of teams that, that could have been Jalen Suitors that went in other directions.

Then I think there were some teams.

Well, I know there were some teams that, that didn't consider Jalen worthy of his contract and thought that there was a gap between the perception of Jalen and the reality of, of Jalen.

And so those teams weren't going to pay top dollar for him.

And then the, Like some of the contenders that could have possibly been interested, like, OKC didn't go out and make a big move even though they lost.

The Spurs made it to the finals.

They have a young core.

They weren't gonna risk that.

So, I would assume, and I don't know for a fact that they weren't in the negotiations, but I would assume they stayed away.

Um, and then, Like, as you look at it, I, I just think there are a lot of reasons for a lot of different teams dropping out.

And at the end of the day, the Celtics were left with underwhelming options and, and chose the one from the seventy-Sixers.

This definitely wasn't like a Nico Harrison situation where they talked to one team and one team only, and we just like coveted Paul George here.

No, this was, this was a situation where the Celtics canvassed the league.

And decided at the end of the day that that was their best option.

No other team was willing to give up more.

And could they have held on to Jalen?

Maybe, but I do think they would have had some stuff to fix at this point at least.

And instead, they, they went with the Paul George option and, uh, Brad, Brad really risked his reputation because to this point, his reputation has been almost impeccable.

Like from day one.

In his role as president of basketball operations.

He's just made all the right moves.

Even last summer when he had to dismantle things.

He did it in a way that left the Celtics in a, with a 56 win regular season.

Even the guy like Luca Garza wasn't ready for playoff minutes, maybe, but that guy came in on a, on a minimum and was, was ready for significant regular season minutes.

Um, Brad's first round picks have all panned out, but this is the first time when he's made a big trade that everyone's like, oh, no, Brad.

And I, I think this is probably the first time he's felt such significant backlash.

Obviously, he's traded away fan favorites before Marcus Smart, one of them.

But, but this time, I think the, the reality that so many fans in Boston love Jalen, and then, Combined with what everyone sees as an underwhelming trade package, like, he knew the type of backlash he was signing up for.

And like I said, the, the fact that he was willing to do this anyway speaks to how much conviction he had and we'll see if he's right.

But, but man, like just a fascinating trade on so many levels.

You know, the analytics stuff, I, I don't really buy all that much.

Um, you know, Brad said it was a small piece.

You know, take him at his word for now on that.

And the teams I've talked to haven't brought up the analytics.

as a top reason not to go hard after him.

The contract is a big reason.

It's a big number.

You've got to deal a lot of pieces usually to get there and when you have it, you don't want to run into the exact same problem that the Celtics have.

But I do think a, a problem was that teams are looking at Jalen and going like, well, if he wasn't thrilled being the oneA guy opposite Jayson Tatum or wanted more, Are we sure he's gonna like it in our system?

And if we're not sure, are we gonna give up the kind of assets that the Celtics were initially looking for there?

I think there was some uncertainty from some of the teams that had real interest in Tate in Brown that, that thought he'd be, thought he could fit, thought he could, he could play, thought he'd be an upgrade of what they had.

I think there was some uncertainty amongst these teams that he might not be happy in that role and with 3 years left in his contract, and extension potentially coming down the line.

Um , there was definitely concern from the people I talked to about whether or not he'd be, uh, accepting of the role that he'd have with that team.

The Tatum stuff is interesting.

Um, I don't know what I call his.

His social media post there, uh, underwhelming, is that, is that a word that we could use?

It was, it was fine.

It wasn't, it didn't seem like as heartfelt as you would expect for someone you played together with for 9 years and someone you've accomplished so much with and go, gone through so many experiences with.

It was, uh, Yeah, we could say underwhelming.

Yeah, I mean, do you?

It's, it's, you can't possibly know the answer to this, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

Like, why can't I?

Well, all right, well, you're a very smart guy.

Well, Brad, look, Brad said he didn't discuss this with Tatum, even if that's true.

Tatum knew what was going on, especially over the last week, um.

Does it surprise you that Tatum didn't throw himself in front of this and try to stop this?

Um, you know, cause, and I, I said this on an earlier podcast, like after they won the championship in 2024, uh, I did a cover story with Tatum, and one of the thing he said to me was that I wish I was more vocal in support.

Of JB over the years when all this trade stuff kept coming up and all the questions about him kept coming up.

But I thought back to that when this was happening, you know, less than 2 years later, um, it was just notable to me that he was pretty quiet, uh, or very quiet or completely quiet when it came to, uh, the future of Jalen Brown, and that post goes up and, you know, you don't really think, it doesn't really have the, the passion that you expect, you know, when you're a teammate of 9 years.

Uh, is traded away.

Do you think that Tatum could have thrown himself in front of this and does it surprise you at all that he, he didn't step in at all?

So I think throughout the years.

He hasn't Well, first of all, it's possible the stuff that you said about him wanting to support Jalen and wishing he had done some more in the past, it's possible he did that behind the scenes.

We, we don't know.

I think he did, and I think he was saying to me he wished he did it publicly more, you know, he was very, he wished he had done it more publicly.

And look, I, I do believe that, you know, regardless of what Brad says about not wanting to put a star in that particular position or a player in that position.

If you're the franchise guy, you got a big bat.

You can, no matter what franchise you're on, whether it's the Portland Trail Blazers or the Lakers, like if you're the superstar, the team right there, um, you've got some weight in that organization.

Yes, yes, he, he does have weight.

Um, I think throughout the years, he, he hasn't been somebody like LeBron , who's always had a hand in everything the Celtics do.

They, throughout the year, like, they have traded some of his closest friends, like, Javonte Green was a super close friend to him, gone.

Robert Williams, he called his favorite player, gone.

Our favorite teammate gone.

Like, they have, they have done a bunch of different things that, that I think he would not have been super excited about.

Um, That said, like, It did seem, and I don't think they have any personal beef or anything, Jason and Jalen at all.

I think there's a lot of respect there.

I think like they, they always, Like at the end of the day, they always got on the same page.

Um, but I do think last year there was just like a bunch of moments that you just kind of made you raise your eyebrows, like, like Jalen said.

You know, this is the first time he called it his favorite season, I think, was in January, maybe December, and he said, this is my favorite season, getting the chance to lead a group.

And it it was kind of like, OK, like he's having so much fun, and he had a lot of other reasons for enjoying it as much as he did.

Like, I, he genuinely liked seeing the younger guys empowered and blossom and flourish.

He loved the fact that the Celtics were written off and came back and won 56 games anyway.

Like, it was not just about his individual success or individual role or or anything like that.

But at the same time, so many of the things he said was like, Does he like it more without Jayson Tatum?

Like, like, is he really liking this more without Jason and from a purely basketball perspective?

Um, and through the years, There was kind of like a clash of styles, like, Jason slows it down and plays methodical.

Jalen always wanted to push the pace, like, he wanted to run, he wanted to gun, he thought that throughout the years, and, and this was even when they were winning championships, or a championship, like he always wanted to play faster, that that was always something that was on his mind.

So there was always like, A little bit of a clash there and A little bit of tension, um, and I do think Eme Udokus put it this way, he said those guys sort of competed against each other in a healthy way, and I think that's, that was real, like those guys pushed each other.

Um, but at the end of the day, like, Do I think there was animosity there?

No, but I also think, um, That, like, the Celtics.

I mean, obviously, Brad said it today, like, they, they did not think it was the best path to go forward with two guys taking up 70% of their salary cap.

It was Jalen they decided to trade.

Like, it was, it was, it was Jason they chose.

And I think Jalen probably always felt that and, and understood that.

And I think, Like, he stomached that forever, um, and he, he often thought he was playing a role that, that he could have been in a different role, and, and that this year, when he actually got to play in that role, That That he was like, like, probably like there was, it would be understandable, totally understandable for him to think after that, why are they not seeing me this way?

I, I just averaged 29, 7, and, and 5, and now they're shopping me after we won 56 games with me as, as the lead guy, and now they're doing all this stuff.

So I, I think that's natural.

Um.

And I don't blame him for it.

I don't blame the franchise for operating the way they did, but I do think that, that, that set up the possibility for friction.

And I think at, at the end of the day, that friction helped, helped make the Celtics' decision to move on from Jalen right now.

So what do you think is the next play for the Celtics here?

You heard Brad say, we're probably not gonna do anything big the rest of the offseason.

Famous last words, of course, you never know.

Uh, but this seems to be the roster they're locked into at least for the rest of this year, which is going to be a good team, right?

Like, I mean, Tatum is like he's gonna be a lot better this year than he was at the end of last year.

Uh, there's a lot of room for organic growth with Hugo Gonzalez, um, you know, Peyton Pritchard still can maybe has another level that he can get to.

Uh, Baylor Shireman, same thing.

Maybe Derrick White continues to decline, but maybe he can level off.

Like this, they'll be a decent team, like maybe even the same type of regular season team that they were this past year.

But like, what's the big swing you think they make?

Like , I have a hard time, Jay.

Like they've talked to me behind the scenes, probably you too, about like, are we, we might be able to get the first overall pick with these, these picks that we get down the line.

Like, OK, 2031, that's five years.

Tatum is 33, like we, we're , even like the 12 years from now that he's gonna be 30 and you got to develop a number one pick.

Like I just, using these picks doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense to me if you're looking to maximize Jayson Tatum.

What do you think their mindset is going into this season and beyond?

I, I, I think Brad made it clear today without saying as much that they're open for business and trying to find the next big guy and trying to find the next foundational piece, and that Paul George, obviously, who's 36, is just a temporary piece and They're, they're open for business.

Brad said it.

I don't know how many times.

Optionality.

Oh, I, I, I control it on my, uh, transcript there.

It's a lot.

I don't have the number, but it's a lot.

If you control it, you should know the exact number.

I know, but I forget what the number was there.

I know what it was at the time.

OK.

A lot of optionality, um, so, so I, I don't think.

And I think that this trade made it clear that Brad just, just thought there was a gap between where they are and where they need to be, or where they were and where they need to be.

And I don't think, That adding 36 year old Paul George makes that gap go away.

And I think the Celtics are aware of that.

I think, that said, I, I do think they'll, they'll be very competitive and That Like, obviously, Paul George will probably miss a bunch of time because he has in each of the last 6 or 7 seasons, but they're also pretty well equipped to handle that with a lot of wing depth.

You've got young guys like Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Ironman, Jordan Walsh, Ron Harper Jr.

even, who can shoulder more responsibilities than they did last season.

And, and we'll be.

Capable whenever Paul George sits.

Um, and then, I think they're just now built more around Jayson Tatum.

Like, Paul George is a good player still, but he's also at this stage of his career, far, far more of a complimentary player than Jalen Brown had become.

And Jalen was a star, Jalen's usage was high.

Paul George is gonna Average, I don't know, 15 to 17 points and take a fraction of the shots that Jalen did.

And so those will be redistributed to Peyton Pritchard.

They'll be redistributed to Tatum and, and the Celtics.

Like, it sounds like Moneyball.

They hope in the aggregate that they can replace Jalen Brown.

But, but at the same time, like, two of the biggest strengths that the Celtics had last season.

We're avoiding turnovers offensively, and securing extra possessions on the offensive glass.

Well, they just added Mitchell Robinson, who's one of the best offensive rebounders ever, so that strength should only grow.

And then they traded Jalen Brown, who was their biggest turnover problem, and those possessions will probably be redistributed, some of them to Paul George, but a lot of them to Peyton Pritchard, to Jayson Tatum, to Derrick White, who never turned the ball over.

And so I think They probably got better at two of their biggest strengths.

And their young guys have a chance to get better.

And at the end of the day, they should be a great regular season team again.

The problem is, like, in the playoffs, you need a guy who can go and get a bucket.

And Paul George at this phase of his career is not that.

So they're going to need somebody to develop.

Or maybe Peyton Pritchard has a, a big leap, a Jalen Brunson type leap.

I saw, I saw some people talking about that.

But more likely, it's gonna be the guy that you trade for down the road and use these picks for to, to acquire down the road that, that becomes that guy next to Jayson Tatum moving forward.

I don't think this is the final iteration of the Celtics and, Like at the end of the day, say what you want about how Dylan, his perception versus the reality of him.

He was a gamer.

He was somebody that, you know , you could always rely on to improve his weaknesses, and he had a lot of big playoffs playoff games for them, and he made a lot of buckets when the game got tight, and nobody else could create separation.

He was a finals MVP.

They're gonna miss him a lot when it counts to the most.

Brings me my last question.

Does anyone In Boston, where 7 again.

Uh That's a good question.

That's a good question.

I mean, cornbread was Finals MVP.

Did Jalen have a better Celtics tenure than him?

Did Cedric Maxwell ever make an All-Star game?

I don't know, but his numbers up there, right?

I, I gotta, I gotta check Max's, Max's stats.

He had some good stats.

They, I don't think they all were in Boston, um.

So he, he never made an All-Star team, Max.

So, but he was on 22 championship teams and, and won the finals MVP for, for one of those.

I think he, I mean, you gotta retire his number and at least at the very least you can't let anybody wear it for a while and while you're figuring while tensions are high, don't go out there and let your next 2nd round pick wear number 7.

Don't, don't do it.

Bre piece of advice that they probably already Christen A Jr shows up wearing number 7.

Could you imagine?

Oh man, no, I, I, I think.

I would guess he'll probably have his number retired, um.

And look, he meant so much to the organization.

And they had some close calls, they had some heartbreaks with him.

They also were consistently year after year in the mix throughout his whole time.

They did it.

To me, the most impressive thing that he and Jayson Tatum did as a duo was they survived like so much nonsense that can rip NBA teams apart.

They had the Kyrie Irving mess when everything went wrong.

Kyrie departed as a free agent.

Al Horford departed as a free agent.

They came back and bounced back from that, and they had the Emi Udoka suspension and later removal.

They had so many big losses, they had Jalen and Marcus Smart got in that like highly publicized fight in the bubble.

Like, there was just so much stuff that they just had to figure out and get back on the same page again.

And that's why it's kind of hard to believe that it ended the way it did after two months of sort of weird drama and trade rumors, and then with Jalen feeling disrespected, and a clear gap between where the Celtics were and where Jalen was mentally.

And so it's just kind of like, that if, if they could get through all that, could they have gotten through this too and figured it out.

Um, but obviously, Celtics went another direction and now they got to figure out the next way to get a championship.

All I know is 4 times a year for the next few years.

It's gonna be some good games.

There's gonna be some intensity in the games that Philadelphia plays Boston again, some renewed intensity.

They couldn't touch the Celtics for years.

Now they beat them in the first round.

Now they got Jalen Brown, who is just gonna be the first game at the Garden.

He's either gonna have like 50 points or he's gonna go like 3 for 27.

There's no in between, no in between.

He's gonna get his shots up and he's gonna ask to guard Jason the entire time.

It's gonna be fun.

Like, is he gonna be talking shit to Joe Missoula?

Am I allowed to say I think that's a layer to it too that has not been explored yet or not yet peeled back like.

I don't know what, yeah, Jalen hasn't said anything about Missoula, but that he hasn't said anything about Missoula to me is interesting too.

Like there's, there's a lot, I think that will be peeled back in the weeks ahead.

Jalen still hasn't spoken to reporters yet.

Um, he's probably gonna do more streams, there'll be more stuff coming out.

Uh, I don't, we're not at the end of this story.

We're at a , Interesting inflection point, but we're not at the end of the story, I don't think.

I think it's gonna be more and more of this, uh, in the days to come.

Could make some interesting stuff to write about though for the dead zone of the, uh, the NBA season.

All right, check out Jay over at the Athletic podcasting over at Still Potable.

I'm sure he's got a lot to say on that feed as well.

Jay, good stuff, man.

Thanks for staying up late and, uh, and uh hanging out with me, man.