Celtics send Jaylen Brown to 76ers in exchange for Paul George and multiple draft picks

Boston completed a multi-asset deal that sends forward Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in return for veteran Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick owned by the Clippers, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and high second-round selections in 2028 and 2030. The trade also includes a 2028 first-round pick swap option that could give Boston the better of the Clippers’ and 76ers’ picks depending on their draft positions.

George, 36, has two years left on a four-year, $211 million contract and will earn $54.1 million next season with a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28. The move saves Boston about $2.9 million this season, though a league source said the transaction was not driven by cost-cutting directives from ownership.

"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said when asked about Brown’s future. "I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? Obviously, you never know. But at the same time, I think the one thing that I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing."

Brown, who led Boston to a 56-win season despite Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, did not request a trade but grew frustrated with the team's handling of the situation, according to league sources. He has not commented on the deal.

The 76ers acquire Brown after he helped the team eliminate Boston in the first round of the playoffs last year. George, who averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds last season, served a 25-game suspension for a drug-policy violation before returning for the postseason.

On the same day, Boston also reached agreements with center Mitchell Robinson on a three-year, $47.4 million contract and veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. on a one-year minimum deal, further reshaping the roster that had contended for NBA titles over the past decade.