Jaylen Brown 'excited and disappointed' about being traded from Celtics to 76ers

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Jul 2, 2026

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The trade that rocked the NBA was bittersweet for Jaylen Brown, who spoke out Thursday for the first time since the Boston Celtics agreed to send him to the rival Philadelphia 76ers.

Brown spent his first 10 seasons with the Celtics and won NBA Finals MVP in their 2024 championship run, but this week’s blockbuster followed widespread speculation that his relationship with the organization had soured.

“I’m still processing how this all went down,” Brown, 29, wrote in a statement shared to social media.

“I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.”

Brown continued, “Saying goodbye isn’t easy when you’ve invested your heart into something.”

Philadelphia is sending 36-year-old forward Paul George and four draft picks, including two first-rounders (2028 and 2031), to Boston to acquire the five-time All-Star — a modest return package that’s prompted criticism of Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.

Brown finished sixth in NBA MVP voting and was a second-team All-NBA selection last season, when he averaged a career-high 28.7 points per game and flourished while co-star Jayson Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery.

Although Tatum missed the first 60 games of the season, the Celtics finished 56-26 and as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, with Brown being the driving force.

But the Celtics were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the seventh-seeded Sixers, inviting questions about Boston’s roster construction.

Many also wondered whether Brown would be content returning to a secondary role once Tatum is presumably back to full strength next season. Earlier in the offseason, Brown and the Celtics both downplayed any issues.

But a trade felt inevitable after the Celtics offered Brown in a potential swap for two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom the Milwaukee Bucks ultimately sent to the Miami Heat.

Just over a week later, Boston agreed to its trade with Philly.

“I’m big on respect and actions speak louder than words,” Brown wrote Thursday. “To the people of Boston, thank you. To the community I built here I love you.”

Brown is due more than $183 million over the next three seasons and is eligible for a contract extension this summer.

George is owed about $110 million over the next two years, including a 2027-28 season for which he holds a player option. He averaged 17.3 points per game over 37 appearances last season, during which he served a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

The trade has dramatic Eastern Conference ramifications, as, on paper, it weakens the Celtics in the present while significantly bolstering a talented-but-oft-injured Sixers roster.

Philadelphia is set to feature a core headlined by Brown, young guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and 32-year-old star center Joel Embiid, who has been plagued by injuries since winning the 2023 NBA MVP.

On Thursday, the Sixers reached a two-year, $12.3 million contract with high-scoring guard Anfernee Simons in free agency, according to ESPN. Simons, 27, played part of last season with Brown in Boston.

The Brown trade cannot become official until July 6.

“As one chapter closes, another begins,” Brown wrote.

“I’m excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to join Philadelphia. Every city has its own identity, its own passion, and its own expectation. I respect that, and I’m looking forward to earning that respect the only way I know how — through the work.”