Los Angeles (USA) (AFP) – Celtics star Jaylen Brown is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers in a stunning NBA trade that will send Paul George to Boston, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Released: 02/07/2026 – 02:38
3 min. Reading time
Boston will also receive two first-round draft picks and two second-round draft picks in the deal, which will end Brown’s 10-year tenure with the club.
The Celtics made the playoffs in each of those 10 seasons, including six appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals and two appearances in the NBA Finals.
Brown was named NBA Finals MVP for the Celtics’ 2024 championship.
For nine of those seasons, he formed a powerhouse star duo with Jayson Tatum.
With Tatum sidelined for 66 games while recovering from an Achilles injury last season, Brown kept the Celtics in contention.
He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in the 2025-26 season as Boston finished second in the Eastern Conference.
But the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs and lost in seven games, and Brown has recently been the subject of trade speculation – particularly as part of a package aimed at acquiring Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After Antetokounmpo traded to the Miami Heat, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Brown was an “important part” of the team but added, “I don’t want to predict the future.”
The 76ers hope the arrival of Brown, who joins veteran Joel Embiid and rising talents Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecomb, will help them get over the playoff hump.
They’ve made the playoffs in eight of the last nine years but haven’t made it past the second round.
The news comes on the first full day of NBA free agency negotiations.
No contracts can be officially signed until July 6, but reports of verbal agreements have already been circulated.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris, who helped the Detroit Pistons to the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, will reportedly join the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent.
Harris, who played a key role in Detroit’s turnaround over the past two seasons, will join the Spurs under Victor Wembanyama as they battle to return to the NBA Finals after losing to the New York Knicks in the championship series.
James speculation
Superstar LeBron James’s final destination remained the center of speculation after the NBA’s all-time leading scorer told the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that he would leave after eight seasons with the team and seek a free agent contract to play an unprecedented 24th season elsewhere.
While pundits pondered the pros and cons of James’ potential assignment, including his former teams Cleveland and Miami or a move to play with Stephen Curry in Golden State, the Lakers made a number of moves around 27-year-old Slovenian star Luka Doncic.
NBA veteran Tobias Harris is reportedly leaving Detroit for the San Antonio Spurs in a free agent deal © Jason Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
They included acquiring 24-year-old shot-blocking center Walker Kessler in a trade with Utah for two first-round draft picks.
Shortly after the deal was announced, the Lakers reportedly agreed to terms with three free agents: big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes and guard Colin Sexton.
In other deals that were widely reported, the Celtics acquired free agent center Mitchell Robinson, fresh off a championship with the New York Knicks.
Free agent Norman Powell, who averaged 21.7 points per game during his All-Star season with Miami, is heading to the Chicago Bulls.
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