Celtics trade – From a May 2 Game 7 collapse to Twitch-fueled spats and a failed push for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Boston Celtics’ offseason finally snapped Wednesday with the trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two se
On Wednesday, the Boston Celtics made the kind of decision that forces a franchise to recalibrate overnight: Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Boston didn’t just move a player. It dismantled the final stretch of a decade-long contending core, sending Brown to Philly in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
It is the end point of an offseason that had already been packed with rumors and volatility—complete with Twitch streams, sharp back-and-forth with media figures, and a summer chase for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo that ultimately went nowhere.
Brown’s final months with the Celtics were rife with trade talk, live-streaming, and disputes that didn’t stay behind closed doors.
May 2: Boston surrendered a 3-1 lead—without Jayson Tatum
The season’s final wound opened on May 2 at TD Garden, where the Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7.
For the first time in Celtics franchise history, Boston relinquished a 3-1 series lead in a playoff series. Boston’s loss came in a matchup where Jayson Tatum was injured and the Celtics played without him in the win-or-go-home game.
Brown carried the team, finishing with 33 points, nine rebounds, and four assists—his final game with Boston. The Celtics lost to the same Sixers team that was then promptly swept by the eventual NBA champion Knicks in the next round.
After the season ended, Brown said, “Man, I’m so grateful to be with this group,” adding, “This group was awesome. I had a fun year. This is probably one of my most fun years playing basketball.”
May 3: Brown goes live, praises growth—and takes aim at Joel Embiid
Just a day after the elimination, Brown turned to Twitch. He praised his teammates for turning what had been widely treated as a lost year into a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. But he also didn’t hold back in his comments about Joel Embiid.
“Flopping has ruined our game,” Brown said. “Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in basketball history. He flops. He knows it. It’s not breaking news.”
Brown also accused officials of “targeting” him throughout the series, pointing to what he described as push-off calls and other rulings that went against him during the seven-game bout.
“They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said. “They clearly had on the red board, if Jaylen does this move, call an offensive foul on him every time. I don’t know if it’s because I pissed the refs off. I’ve been critical about them a bunch of times. and they were like in the playoffs. ‘You know what?. I got you — watch this.’ That’s exactly what they did.”.
The NBA fined Brown $50,000 for comments criticizing the officials.
That anger didn’t stay contained. Warriors forward Draymond Green labeled Brown’s remarks “excuse-making” after the defeat, while ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith called the comments an “awful look.”
May 5: Tracy McGrady says Brown has ‘frustration’ with Boston
By May 5, the dispute widened beyond referees and into talk about Brown’s relationship with the only NBA franchise he’d played for.
On a May 5 episode of the podcast “Cousins,” NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady said he heard that Brown might have qualms with the Celtics after his 10th year with the team.
“I think his frustration lies deeply within the organization and other things that we don’t have the details [of]. ” McGrady said. “There’s just been a lot of stuff that I’ve been hearing going on with the Boston organization with J.B. So. I think part of [it] with him was like. ‘I showed you guys more as a basketball player. ’ not only just what I did on the basketball court. but also the leadership I displayed with this team. You saw that with us not having our best player in [Jayson Tatum]. You’ve seen a different side of what I’m able to bring to the game of basketball.”.
The next day, as Boston’s president of basketball operations Brad Stevens faced questions about Brown, Stevens said, “I talked to Jaylen on Monday real quickly and it was nothing but positive,” and added, “He has not expressed those frustrations to me. We’ve been here ten years together.”
May 7: Brown pushes back on McGrady’s framing—and doubles down about his “favorite” season
Brown responded on Twitch, telling viewers that he wanted to remain in Boston and that it bothered him that Stevens even had to address the chatter.
“First things first, lotta stuff swirling around the Celtics and our organization,” Brown said. “Hate that our president of basketball operations even had to respond to this. Me and Brad have a great relationship. I love Boston. If it was up to me, I’d play in Boston for the next 10 years. I’ll say it again: I hate that Brad even had to respond to this.”.
Brown also revisited the criticism surrounding his comments calling the 2025-26 season his “favorite.” After Boston’s first-round exit, the optics of praising a year when Tatum was primarily sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon were difficult for some to swallow.
But Brown doubled down, saying his favorite-year claim came from Boston’s roster growth.
“I mean, we blew a 3-1 lead, and yeah — we lost in the first round. We didn’t win a championship,” Brown said. “But the amount of growth. the expectations that these same [critics] have for us. is why this was my favorite year. because I got to see it in practice. … The expectations were for this team was to fail. The expectations was the team [would] be nothing, just to give in to and to quit. And this team did the exact opposite. We fought every single day. We fought for everything.”.
Brown added. “I got to see Jayson Tatum come back from an injury. mentally overcome what [it] takes … this is a part of the reason why this was my favorite year. You got to see all of these guys, all of my teammates, grow. I got to see them overcome adversity as a group, up close and personal. And even though we didn’t accomplish what we accomplished, no excuse.”.
He continued, “I’m not making no excuses. Obviously, the result — we’re not satisfied with the result. . … But to fight and maneuver through adversity and grow and galvanize with a bunch of guys and have that mindset and approach. this was my favorite year. I wouldn’t say by far. By far would be a stretch. because obviously. winning the championship is great. but I’m telling y’all. this was my favorite season.”.
May 7: Brown tells Stephen A. Smith to ‘be quiet’
The friction with Stephen A. Smith escalated the same day. Smith harped on Brown for needing to “be quiet … unless he wants to get traded” during an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take.”
Brown responded on X: “I’ll ‘be quiet’ / stop streaming if you ‘be quiet’ and retire let’s give the people what they want.”
Smith returned on X as well. posting. “Bro. I got love for you so I’m not going to even go there. Folks are looking out for you and you don’t even realize it. Here you are making this kind of noise and it hasn’t even been a week since you lost a 3-1 lead. You’re HOME. ” adding. “A champion and a Finals MVP saying his favorite season is the season he’s home in the FIRST ROUND. This is not about ME. It’s about YOU….and what YOU SAID. Enjoy your offseason.”.
May 17: Brown curses out Smith and ESPN on another Twitch stream
Brown’s frustration with the media tone didn’t cool. On another Twitch stream later in May, he took aim again at Smith and ESPN after questioning why Brown’s love for the 2025-26 season was being framed the way it was.
Brown said, “Man, f— Stephen A. Stephen A. Stephen B. Stephen C. ” after pausing when Smith said Brown needed to “be quiet.” He added: “My offer still stands. You want me to be quiet and stop streaming?. Well, I want you to be quiet and get off these networks. Because you’re not using your platform to do real journalism. You’re using your platform to use clickbait.”.
Brown was especially irked by what he described as an insinuation that Jayson Tatum had grown tired of Brown, given that Tatum appeared on a “First Take” episode instead of Brown’s Twitch.
“What type of journalism is this?” Brown asked. “Jayson Tatum hasn’t been on my stream, and this is what we’re talking about on First Take?. What if [Tatum] just don’t like being somewhere in an uncontrolled environment?. Why are you doing journalism on me having guests on my stream?. And this is a part of the reason why I started streaming. This is a part of the reason why people use the term ‘clown. ’ and it synchronizes with someone like Stephen A. Smith. Because this is what you’re using your platform for. What are you talking about?”.
He continued, “This is a narrative that he’s creating. This isn’t journalism. ” and added. “This is him making his own opinion and [formulating] it about what I have to say. on his platform. And this is why. respectfully. a lot of people say. ‘F— Stephen A.’ Because this is the type of stuff he does. and then he doesn’t recognize it.”.
May 24: Brown challenges Smith to a debate
Brown kept pressing the fight into public view. On May 24, he proposed a live audience debate with Smith.
“Stephen A., here’s my proposal,” Brown said. “Why don’t we have a live audience debate, traditional media versus us athletes?. And let’s do a live debate in front of a live-streamed audience at a mutual location like Harvard or MIT. and let’s talk about it. Let’s see who comes out on top. Should be easy. Should be a piece of cake.”.
He continued, “Mainstream traditional media versus the athlete. Let’s set it up. Harvard, MIT, live and let’s see who comes out on top. You know where to find me. We know where to contact my team. Let’s set up a live debate at a mutual location and let’s talk about it. Traditional vs. untraditional. Mainstream media vs. the dumb jock. Let’s see who comes out on top.”.
June 22: Celtics include Brown in Giannis trade talks
As the offseason moved toward June, Brown’s name stopped being just a headline about conflict and became a centerpiece of roster math.
On June 22, with the Celtics and Miami Heat both pursuing Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst said Brown was the centerpiece of Boston’s trade offer.
“The Celtics and the [Miami Heat] are the two teams that are aggressively going after Giannis, I would say they are the finalists,” Windhorst said. “If Giannis is going to be traded in the next 24 hours, which I think is a good chance of happening, it’s either going to be to Boston or Miami.”
Windhorst added that Boston was cautious about using Brown in a formal firm offer, but that he could be traded for Giannis.
“[Boston] was very cautious about putting Jaylen Brown in an official firm offer,” he added. “I believe they have. Jaylen Brown is on the table and I believe Jaylen Brown could get traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the short term.”
That same day, Brown acknowledged the trade rumors on Twitch with U.S. Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles.
“Somewhat grateful, because I get to see some negativity that I didn’t want. But that just gives more fuel to the fire,” Brown said. “I see some comments, or takes, that I didn’t even care to see, but it just gives me more fuel to the fire.”
He added, “To all the people who have doubted me, that want me to do this or want me gone, you’re turning me into a monster.”
June 22: Celtics lose the Giannis sweepstakes
After weeks of speculation, Boston’s pitch for Antetokounmpo didn’t win out. Milwaukee reportedly traded the two-time MVP to the Miami Heat.
The reported deal sent Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks (including No. 13), one pick swap, and one second-round selection.
The push quickly made clear how much Boston was willing to put behind Brown in those talks. Per ESPN insider Shams Charania, Boston offered a package that featured 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks.
“The Celtics aggressively pursued Giannis. offering Milwaukee a package featuring 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks. sources tell ESPN. ” Charania posted on X. “The Bucks seriously negotiated with two finalists in recent weeks: Miami and Boston. which were both on Antetokounmpo’s list of preferred destinations.”.
June 23: Celtics shift fast into a Brown market
The day after the Giannis trade was reported, the Celtics reportedly moved into full pursuit mode for what came next.
Windhorst described Boston as having effectively told the league Brown was available.
“Boston is in a situation where they have put to the whole world out there that Jaylen Brown. their Finals MVP. [was available]. ” Windhorst said. “They of course knew it was possible they were going to lose to Miami. They wanted to win. they made a very strong offer. but they were not willing to put their entire team in because on the other side of this trade they had to have a team.”.
Windhorst added that he expected other teams to start preparing for a Brown bidding war.
“So, now, what I expect to happen is a bidding war for Jaylen Brown [from] other teams in the league. In the most recent days, teams have been preparing for this eventuality that it wouldn’t be the Boston Celtics who won the Giannis sweepstakes and there would be a Jaylen Brown market.”
Bill Simmons also weighed in, saying he had a “bad feeling.”
“I don’t think [the Celtics] would have entertained this at the end of the season,” Simmons said on his podcast. “I think something definitely shifted as we went along, and I am not convinced he’s going to be on the team in October. I think it’s 50/50.”
June 24: Windhorst says Brown likely won’t be in Boston next season
At the 2026 NBA Draft, Windhorst offered a blunt assessment of Brown’s chances of staying.
“Brad Stevens said a lot of very nice and respectful things, but he never said he wasn’t trading [Brown]. … The Celtics got into the bidding for Giannis. but not into a bidding war. which means they knew there was a possibility that they would not be able to execute that trade. ” Windhorst said. “Which means that they knew there’d be potentially other trades that they would make.“And. my speculation is. they do have another list with other teams that they’ll be talking to. And. I would believe there’s a very good chance Jaylen Brown is going to be elsewhere at the start of next season.”.
Later that day, Stevens remained noncommittal.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us. I’m never going to predict the future. but. like. every indication. everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys. right?. So, obviously you never know,” Stevens said. “I think the one thing that I want to make very clear is how valued he has always been.”.
He added, “He has been amazing. He has been an amazing teammate, great person to be around. Whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. “We have a great relationship and an open relationship where we talk about everything. but I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team.”.
June 30: Celtics lower asking price or risk losing their chance to trade Brown
As negotiations and speculation continued, comments about Brown’s market value grew sharper.
NBA insider and former Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks said on Sirius XM that analytics weren’t supporting Brown’s value.
“There’s mixed feelings about [Brown],” Marks said. “The analytics on Jaylen Brown is not good … I had an analytics guy tell me, ‘we view Brown as the seventh-best player on an NBA team’.”
Brown responded on X. writing. “Analytics nowadays used to discredit and control narratives. ” adding. “Roll the ball out. none of these guys better than me on both ends.” He also wrote. “Nobody has won more combined regular season and playoff games since I entered the league 10 years ago. ” and followed with. “Analytics are ruining the game. We playing AI hoops.”.
On June 30, ESPN’s Charania stressed that Boston remained demanding.
“We know they tried to get Giannis, but what’s the ask now?” Charania said on “Get Up” last Friday. “My understanding is that in some cases the Celtics have asked teams for at least four first-round picks for Jaylen Brown.”
Sam Amick of The Athletic offered a more sobering report about Brown’s trade market.
“Barring a drastic and unforeseen change in the market. the Boston Celtics will have to significantly lower their asking price if they plan on trading [Brown] anytime soon. ” Amick wrote on Tuesday. “As you’ve no doubt heard by now. they’ve been asking for up to four first-round picks (in addition to players) for a team to land the 29-year-old forward.”.
June 30: Brown becomes frustrated as calls pile up
The night before the trade, The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported that weeks of rumors and commentary weighed on Brown.
“League sources said that the Celtics have continued to field calls from teams interested in trading for Brown,” Himmelsbach wrote. “A league source said that Brown has grown frustrated with the organization’s approach following a season in which he guided the Celtics to 56 wins while Jayson Tatum was sidelined for months with an Achilles injury.”.
July 1 / Wednesday night: the deal is finalized
By Wednesday evening, the process that had stretched from May into July ended in a final, concrete move.
Brown was traded to the 76ers on Wednesday, sending him to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
Charania later said Brown never requested a trade.
“My understanding is [that] Jaylen Brown, throughout all this, never requested a trade,” Charania said on SportsCenter. “He never asked out of Boston. This was all the Celtics.”
For Boston, the trade capped an offseason drama that had started with a historic playoff collapse—then ran through live-streamed disputes, media critiques, and a failed chase for Giannis that forced the Celtics to switch direction quickly.
For Brown, it ends his run in Boston with the uncertainty and scrutiny of the final stretch now replaced by the hard reality of a new uniform and a new set of expectations in Philadelphia.
Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown Philadelphia 76ers Paul George NBA offseason trade rumors Giannis Antetokounmpo Stephen A. Smith Twitch