The Celtics enter next season with a very different kind of gamble on the wing, and it starts with the deal that sent Jaylen Brown out and brought Paul George in. Boston’s bet is clear: Brown wasn’t quite as central to its run of success as plenty of people assumed, and George can slide into that spot alongside Jayson Tatum.
That swap is the headliner, but it isn’t the only notable change. Boston also brought in Mitchell Robinson using the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, and that move gives the Celtics a much stronger center rotation.
Robinson’s offensive rebounding is described as historically great, and that skill should matter for a team that already likes to attack the glass and fire away on second-chance threes. With Robinson and Neemias Queta, Boston can cover 48 solid minutes at center.
If Robinson needs a night off because of his injury history, the Celtics can turn to stretch big Luka Garza or rookie first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr.
Most of the rest of the roster projection looks familiar, even if the consequences of those two changes are huge. Boston could start Payton Pritchard, and it probably should. If the Celtics prefer to keep him in a bench role the way they did in the second half of last season so he can be staggered with Derrick White, then any of Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman or Hugo González could slide into the lineup between White and the wings.
The real basketball question is whether George fits cleaner than Brown in Boston’s three-point-heavy offense. There’s a case for it, especially if Tatum is back at peak level and White and Pritchard can shoulder real scoring work.
George, a nine-time All-Star, still brings plenty of value, and defensively he would be a major upgrade from Brown. When George is on the floor, Boston could be elite on that end.
But the fit only matters if George stays available. That is the biggest warning sign hanging over this whole setup. He missed more than half of his regular-season games in two years with the Sixers, and that kind of absence changes everything for a contender.
The Celtics’ title case may ultimately come down to one blunt question: can George, White and Pritchard generate enough offense on the ball to make up for losing Brown’s volume scoring? That’s the central issue in Boston.
And for the Sixers, the most striking part of all this is the ripple effect. George is the only former Sixer on the Celtics, but his contract - a four-year deal worth well over $200 million that had been viewed for more than a year as one of the NBA’s toughest to move - became the piece that set everything in motion.
Boston saw him as a viable replacement for an outgoing All-Star, with two-way value and a shorter financial commitment. That decision helped the Sixers land Brown, and Brown’s arrival led them to sign James.
It’s one of the most remarkable transaction chains the league has seen in recent memory.
In Other News...
Kevin Durant Just Weighed In On The Sixers' Biggest Gamble
Kevin Durant is already seeing the appeal of the Sixers latest swing, and he is not shy about where he thinks it can lead. In weighing in on LeBron James joining Philadelphia, Durant called the setup a juggernaut, pointing to the mix of star power, experience and leadership as the kind of foundation that can change a teams outlook quickly.
From Durants perspective, the details matter almost as much as the name on the jersey. He noted that LeBron taking a minimum contract gives the Sixers a rare blend of talent and flexibility, while also giving them the benefit of a championship-winning coach and front office behind it. For Philadelphia, the bigger question now is whether all of those pieces can actually turn promise into the kind of season Durant believes is there to be had. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Sees One Big Question In LeBron's Sixers Fit
LeBron James arrival on a veteran minimum deal instantly changes the conversation around the 76ers, because Philadelphia now has another marquee name alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown. Kevin Durant was among those taking a close look at the move, praising LeBrons mindset and his willingness to fit into different roles, the kind of flexibility that can make a loaded roster work instead of just looking good on paper.
Durant went a step further by comparing the Sixers depth to the championship Golden State teams he played on in 2017 and 2018, a reminder that star power alone is not always the hardest part to manage. For Philadelphia, the big question is less about whether the talent is there and more about how all those high-scoring pieces are going to mesh once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Former Sixers Are Raising The Stakes On Joel Embiid's Next Run
The buzz around Joel Embiids next run is not coming only from inside the building. Jaylen Brown, who once shared that Philadelphia experience with Embiid, praised the 76ers revamped roster and said he was happy for Embiids chance to chase a championship with a deeper, more dangerous group around him. His comments carried extra weight because they came from someone who has seen the center up close, both as a teammate in Philadelphia and as one of the leagues top rivals.
Patrick Beverley added to the optimism after watching recent workouts and speaking positively about what the Sixers could be. For a team that has spent plenty of seasons under a microscope, having former players publicly boost the outlook only sharpens the expectations. The roster looks different, the confidence around it is rising, and now the pressure on Embiids next opportunity feels even more pronounced. [Read more 🡒]