Tatum bids farewell to Brown after Celtics trade to 76ers

The Boston Celtics sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, July 1, in a swap that brought back Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The deal cannot be officially announced until Monday, and the 2028 first-rounder can convert to a swap if that helps Boston more.

Boston had spent recent weeks weighing Brown in bigger franchise reshuffling, including a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, before Milwaukee sent Antetokounmpo to Miami. By Wednesday, the Celtics were shopping Brown around the league, and Brown never asked out of Boston even as the Celtics decided they could no longer keep the title core intact.

Tatum wrote on Friday in an Instagram Story that it had been “9 years,” said he was “forever grateful” for what the two built together, credited Brown with pushing him to be a better player, and added that he had “nothing but love and respect” for Brown. Tatum and Brown spent nine seasons together and won the 2024 title.

Brown’s first public response came Thursday, July 2, when he said he was “excited and disappointed at the same time.” He thanked Boston fans, said he never asked for shortcuts or special treatment, and called the move emotional. Brown arrived as the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft from Cal and left as a five-time All-Star, the 2024 Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals MVP, and the centerpiece of Boston’s 18th championship team. He is coming off 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, finished sixth in MVP voting, and now joins Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in Philadelphia, where the 76ers knocked the Celtics out of the first round last season.