Jaylen Brown says Celtics showed him lack of respect before trade to 76ers

Jaylen Brown used a Thursday Twitch broadcast to say he felt the Boston Celtics sent a disrespectful message when they traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers. He said a “message was sent, and that message was received,” and added that he was “not thrilled with the amount of respect that was shown during this process.”

Brown suggested that Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was likely to face criticism for how the trade discussions were handled, and he expressed a desire for a clearer explanation of the “more to it” behind the decision.

The five-time All-Star, who was named the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, posted that he had posted his best statistical season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while leading Boston to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite that, the Celtics were eliminated in the first round after losing a 3-1 series lead to the 76ers.

Brown also reflected that he considered the season his “favorite year” because of the team’s resilience, even though he faced criticism for ranking it above the franchise’s title-winning campaign. He did not mention former teammate Jayson Tatum during the stream.

The trade sent Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031) and two second-round picks (2028, 2030). He joked that he had been “programmed to hate Philadelphia” because of the rivalry, but said he would need time to adjust.

Brown indicated he has begun speaking with new teammates Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edwards about the upcoming season, noting that “there’s work to be done.” He also said he wishes his “integrity and character hadn’t been attacked so much during this whole process.”