The Boston Celtics may have changed their future in one swing, and not in the way they wanted. By moving Jaylen Brown, they handed a division rival a massive boost, accepted Paul George as the centerpiece of the return, and opened the door to a deal that helped bring LeBron James to Philadelphia on a minimum contract.
That is a lot to regret before George has even logged a meaningful stretch in green.
Brown, meanwhile, has every reason to be fueled by the move. Boston gave up on a player who was part of its 2024 championship run and won Finals MVP along the way.
He was one of the 20 best players in the world, and the Celtics got less than a superstar return for him. The result: a rival contender now looks stronger, and Boston looks like a team trying to patch holes after taking a major swing.
George is the biggest reason the trade already feels shaky. He was seen as having one of the worst contracts in the NBA before the deal, and the injury history only makes that harder to ignore.
He played just 37 games last season, and some of that absence came from a 25-game suspension. Even beyond that, he has topped 56 games only once since 2020 and has averaged 48.7 games per season over the last seven years.
For a 36-year-old with a long track record of missed time, that is a lot for Boston to bet on.
The money only sharpens the issue. George is set to make $54.1 million this season and has a $56.5 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign.
Boston might be able to move his expiring deal next summer, but for now the Celtics are stuck with it. And they paid a heavy price to get him, sending out Brown along with two first-round draft picks and two second-rounders.
That trade did more than weaken Boston’s present. It also made life harder down the road for Brad Stevens, who now has to figure out how to build a championship roster around Jayson Tatum without the extra value Brown could have brought. The Celtics lowered both their ceiling and their floor, and they did it while giving Philadelphia a path to a far more dangerous lineup.
The Sixers now have Jaylen and King James flanking Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe. That is the kind of starting five that can change the conversation fast. The Celtics, on the other hand, may be staring at a division rival rising while they try to keep pace.
Boston’s problems do not end there. Derrick White struggled as the number two option when Tatum was out to start last season, and there is no reason to assume he will suddenly make a huge leap with Brown gone. Add in the uncertainty around George’s availability, and the Celtics are left hoping for stability in a spot where they have very little of it.
Brad Stevens clearly believed he had to move Brown. After talks involving Giannis Antetokounmpo fell apart, Boston pivoted quickly and took the best offer on the table.
But that haste may be exactly what hurts them most. The Celtics should have waited and pushed for more.
Instead, they took a risk that already looks costly, and it could get worse from here.
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