Celtics cite salary-cap flexibility for Jaylen Brown trade to 76ers

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens explained on Monday that the decision to trade former All-Star Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers was motivated by salary-cap considerations and the need for greater roster flexibility. The deal sends Paul George and several draft picks to Boston, which Stevens said provides the team with "optionality" for future moves.

Stevens noted that the Celtics did not want 70 percent of their salary cap committed to two players—Brown and Jayson Tatum—and that Brown’s contract, which runs $61.6 million next season and $65.6 million in 2028-29, limited the club’s ability to build a competitive roster. He contrasted this with George’s more cap-friendly deal, which carries a $57.7 million hit this season and a player option for 2027-28 at $56.5 million.

"We’re not up here to defend ourselves in this decision, which will certainly be scrutinized. We’re OK with that. We’re more so trying to deal with the emotions of Jaylen not being here," Stevens said.

Stevens also emphasized that Brown was not disgruntled and praised his decade-long contribution to the organization, describing him as a meaningful presence for the team.

Celtics owner Bill Chisholm addressed speculation that the trade was part of a broader effort to reduce payroll, saying the moves are driven by basketball considerations and that the team now has additional cap space to pursue desired players.

"It’s not about the money at all. This was trying to put together the right set of players and assets to win. … None of these were about money. We have some more room now, like if we see something we wanted, Brad’s got the green light to do that," Chisholm said.