Jaylen Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP and holder of the richest contract in NBA history at $304 million, has been sent by the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers in a move almost nobody saw coming. Brad Stevens built his case around optionality and greater flexibility under the salary cap. "The path looked a little bit more challenging, with 70% of our cap and such a high percent of our usage tied into two players," Stevens explained. In return, Boston picked up 36-year-old Paul George, the right to swap first-round picks in 2028, a protected 2031 first-rounder and two second-round selections.
The deal has split opinion across the league. Stevens and owner Bill Chisholm insist the trade was not driven by money, yet the analysts have not spared Boston. Vendetta Sports Media graded the move an F and called it a gross miscalculation, because George's contract is regarded as one of the worst in the league given his injury record and his age. Philadelphia, by contrast, walked away with an A+, having landed a player who averaged 28.7 points last season and finished sixth in MVP voting, and having paid next to nothing to get him.
The situation grew tenser still once Brown began speaking publicly. Boston's attempt to trade him for Giannis Antetokounmpo left him angry, and on Twitch he hit back at the franchise. "You're turning me into a monster," Brown said. He now lines up alongside Joel Embiid, a player he was criticising in public barely eight weeks ago.
For Boston, this transfer marks the end of the Jays and the start of a risky restructuring. For Philadelphia, it is a direct route back into the title race and the making of a new Big Four.
