New details are coming into focus on how the Jaylen Brown trade with the Celtics actually came together, and the picture is less instant blockbuster than slow burn.
After Brown’s press conference on Thursday, 76ers president Mike Gansey explained that the deal wasn’t a one-call kind of move. According to Gansey, both sides were on the phone, back and forth, working through the framework over time.
“I don't know exactly when we talked to Boston, but it was a process of talking to them, going back and forth,” Gansey said. “We just kept at it.
Boston kept calling. We kept calling, trying to figure something out.
Credit Brad. We really kept this thing quiet.
"They got Paul [George]. Paul still can really play.
He helped the Sixers last year beat Boston in the playoffs. They got some picks that can be very valuable.
I thought they got a lot of value as well, but we're just excited to have Jaylen."
Gansey also gave Boston president Brad Stevens credit for helping keep the talks quiet while the sides worked through the details.
The return for Boston included Paul George, who is 36 and under contract for two more seasons. George also has a player option worth $56.6 million in 2027-28, which could make him an unrestricted free agent in the 2027 offseason.
Along with George, Boston received four picks from Philadelphia: a 2028 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick.
Reports had indicated at one point that the Celtics were seeking as many as four first-round picks for Brown.
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