Jaylen Brown Reveals Initial Reaction to 76ers Trade From Celtics, Talks Tyrese Maxey Conversation

As part of his introductory press conference with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, Jaylen Brown divulged his initial reaction to getting traded by the Boston Celtics last month.

Brown told reporters, "When I first got traded, I just threw my phone across the room."

However, Brown noted that it wasn't long before new teammate Tyrese Maxey contacted him and welcomed him to the Sixers, saying, "I think Maxey reached out to me first. He reached out and was like, 'I know it's a lot of stuff going on right now, but we're excited to have you.'"

Brown was rumored to be part of trade discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks ended up trading him to the Miami Heat rather than the Celtics.

The trade chatter surrounding Brown continued, though, and the Sixers ended up shocking the basketball world by acquiring the five-time All-Star in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

Brown's arrival also seemed to pave the way for LeBron James to sign with the 76ers in free agency, making Philly one of the top championship contenders entering the 2026-27 season.

Originally selected third overall by the Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft, Brown spent his first 10 seasons in Boston.

He enjoyed enormous success during that time, averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 674 regular-season games, while helping lead the Celtics to 10 playoff berths, two NBA Finals appearances and one NBA championship.

When the Celtics won the NBA title in 2024, Brown was named both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP, as he averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during the team's playoff run.

Brown has been named an All-Star in five of the past six seasons, and this past season was the best of his career statistically.

With Jayson Tatum missing most of the year while recovering from a torn Achilles, Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game en route to his second career All-NBA Second Team selection and a career-best finish of sixth in the NBA MVP voting.

Now, the Celtics are adding him and arguably the greatest player of all time in James to a core that already included a two-time All-Star in Maxey, a one-time NBA MVP in Joel Embiid and the 2025 No. 3 overall draft pick in VJ Edgecombe.

While Brown's initial reaction to the trade may not have been positive, he now finds himself in a situation where he can realistically contend for a championship next season and beyond.