Jayson Tatum posts farewell to Jaylen Brown after Celtics trade to 76ers

Jayson Tatum used his Instagram story on Friday to thank Jaylen Brown, posting a photo of the two from their early days together. Tatum wrote that the nine-year partnership produced a championship and expressed respect for Brown as both a player and a person. The Celtics' blockbuster deal sent Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and draft picks, ending a duo that had never missed the playoffs and reached the NBA Finals twice, winning in the 2023-24 season. Both players were third-overall picks in consecutive drafts (Brown in 2016, Tatum in 2017) and were projected to command a combined $116.2 million salary by 2026-27, raising questions about roster balance. Brown, 29, acknowledged mixed emotions about the move and later discussed feeling a lack of respect during a Twitch broadcast. With the trade completed, Tatum remains the Celtics' primary superstar and will now face his former teammate four times a season, with the possibility of additional matchups in the playoffs.