{"id":2022501,"date":"2026-07-02T01:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2022501"},"modified":"2026-07-02T01:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:16:08","slug":"initial-reaction-to-jaylen-brown-trade-east-outlook-and-would-you-have-done-this-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2022501","title":{"rendered":"Initial reaction to Jaylen Brown trade, East outlook and would you have done this deal?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The craziness does not stop.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, we found out LeBron James was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> and Kawhi Leonard was going back to the future with the Toronto Raptors<\/a>. On Wednesday, the first full day of NBA free agency, we got something that might have been even more shocking: The Boston Celtics are trading Jaylen Brown<\/a>, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, for Paul George and two first-round picks, along with more draft capital.<\/p>\n

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After all the talk of the Celtics holding out for a huge package of players and picks, the smaller return was staggering.<\/p>\n

After they picked their jaws up off the floor, The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s David Aldridge, Jason Jones, Eric Koreen and Jason Quick got together to discuss their initial reactions to the Brown trade, the Celtics\u2019 side of things and how this changes the Eastern Conference\u2019s outlook.<\/p>\n

What was your initial reaction to the trade?<\/h2>\n

Aldridge:<\/strong> Not surprised Boston traded Brown. The momentum certainly looked like it was heading in that direction the last few days. Not really surprised, either, that the Celtics couldn\u2019t get four firsts for Brown when the whole league knew the C\u2019s were pushing to move on from their star forward. I\u2019m not even complaining that Boston took on the remaining two years and $110 million (including a player option for 2027-28 at $56.6 million) of George\u2019s contract. PG-13 isn\u2019t what he used to be, but he played very well in Philly\u2019s comeback series win over Boston in the first round of last season\u2019s playoffs.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m stunned that Boston didn\u2019t hold out for a single young player. I\u2019m not talking about Tyrese Maxey or VJ Edgecombe, who I trust were untouchable. But there had to be someone in the league that would be available for Brown, someone who could help Jayson Tatum attack the basket. I mean, there was no chance Detroit would entertain a package including, say, Ausar Thompson, for Brown? Maybe there\u2019s another shoe to drop here, a secondary trade in the offing involving one of the non-Tatums that will fill that hole. But I think it\u2019s a hole \u2014 a big one.<\/p>\n

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Memorable moments from Jaylen Brown’s 10 seasons in Boston<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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