Celtics GM Explains Why He Chose Paul George Over Jaylen Brown in Controversial Trade

10 years after getting drafted by the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown got traded away to Eastern Conference rivals, the 76ers. It was a surprising move because of what the Celtics got in return, particularly. Paul George and a handful of future draft picks were considered good returns as far as President Brad Stevens thought. Now, he has revealed why he would choose George over the 2024 Finals MVP.

"I'll start by saying, we like Paul (George)," Stevens said in a press conference.

"Paul's a really good player. We're not very far removed from Paul sitting in our series against Philadelphia, and watching Paul be a guy who could carry you for portions of a quarter or a half. But also play a complementary role on both ends of the floor at the highest of levels," Stevens added.

The Celtics boss further added that George is excited to head to Boston after spending the last two seasons in Philadelphia. And it might just be the change he needed to re-ignite that spark his career has been missing.

For the last couple of years, PG has been consistently missing from the 76ers' lineup due to injuries. He only played a total of 78 games combined in two seasons. This led many to question why the Celtics would want an injury-prone player over an All-Star who led them to the No. 2 seed last season. However, Celtics president Brad Stevens thinks otherwise.

There’s no denying that George is still capable of contributing significantly on the court. Last season, he averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. While not on par with Brown’s numbers—he averaged 28.9 ppg in the regular season while remaining sufficiently fit—it’s still efficient enough for George to play as a second option next to the franchise’s cornerstone, Jayson Tatum.

As for Brown, Tatum's partner-in-crime in Boston since 2017, his exit seemed all but inevitable. He had his best individual season in 2025-26, but the Celtics lost in Round 1 of the playoffs, after which his relationship with the front office reportedly fell apart. Since then, the Celtics had been actively looking for suitors to trade Brown away.

76ers Caught Off Guard By Celtics Jaylen Brown Offer

Heading into the summer, the Philadelphia 76ers already had plans of getting rid of Paul George from their lineup. After a rather underwhelming stint with them, they were looking for a fresh injection of talent that would help them make a deep run in the postseason in 2026-277.

The Sixers were looking for any team that would be willing to welcome George to their roster. It was challenging, especially considering how PG is no longer the same player he was during his prime Indiana Pacers days. However, when they heard the Celtics were actively shopping Brown, the 76ers couldn't help but make an offer.

To their surprise, Boston agreed to a deal that Philly knew was a lousy offer from their end. According to NBA insider Chris Mannix, the Sixers were "stunned" when the Celtics gave the green light to make the swap.

"Talked to one team … that absolutely made an offer for Jaylen Brown to Boston, a good team," as per NBA insider Chris Mannix. "I talked to them after the deal was consummated with Philadelphia, and they were stunned. Mostly because they knew their offer wasn't very good."

Celtics president Brad Stevens noted that the intention of letting go of Brown wasn't to clear cap space, but rather to find an ideal situation wherein they wouldn't have to pay two All-Stars max contracts. For 10 years, Brown and Jayson Tatum have been the stars of Boston. Paying both All-Stars under supermax contract conditions would've easily consumed 70% of the team's cap space.

At least, with George, not only do they have the option to re-sign him for cheaper when his contract expires, but they also secured a significant amount of draft picks to invest in younger guys in the near future.