76ers Tried to Offload Paul George's Contract Before Jaylen Brown Offer Left Philadelphia Stunned

The 2026 offseason is shaping up to be one of the wildest in recent years, with blockbuster moves dominating the headlines. Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat, while LeBron James’ future remains up in the air after announcing he would not re-sign with the Lakers. Another surprising move saw the Boston Celtics send 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and a few draft picks.

According to reports, the Sixers had already been exploring ways to move George, who signed a 4-year $212 million contract in 2024. They wanted to clear cap space but struggled to find the right trade partner. So when the Celtics reached out with a deal centered around Brown, Philadelphia’s front office was left stunned.

"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."

Despite the Sixers losing two first-round picks (2028 and 2031) and two future second-round picks on top of George for Brown, it's safe to argue that they won the trade. Brown, who averaged 29 ppg in the 2025-26 season, is an MVP-caliber player, finishing sixth in last season's race. He was also named the 2024 NBA Finals MVP when the Celtics won the championship.

Brown also showed he could lead a team during Jayson Tatum’s recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, helping Boston secure the No. 2 seed in the 2026 playoffs. George, meanwhile, has looked like a shadow of his former self.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey now have a more explosive and dominant third star in Brown in their mix, who could potentially help the Sixers contend for a championship next season.

Draymond Green Breaks Down How Sixers Won Jaylen Brown-Paul George Trade

While Paul George is one of the most respected stars in the league, he isn't the same player he once was.

Looking at George's two seasons in Philly, he was barely available to the team. He played a combined 78 games in a span of two campaigns, barely hitting a full season. PG suffered from multiple injuries, such as a hyperextended left knee, lingering groin pain, and several finger sprains. It's because of these health issues that he wasn't consistently available and was less efficient compared to his previous seasons.

Having that said, one could say that the Boston Celtics received dirt in exchange for their supposed golden boy. Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green got candid regarding the trade between the Celtics and Sixers, calling out George's deteriorating game.

"No disrespect to Paul George, but this isn’t an even swap," Green said on his podcast. "I got a lot of love for PG. But like myself, PG is 36 years old. Not like myself. I’m going into year 15. I think PG is going into year 17. And Jaylen Brown, not even 30 years old. He’s 29 years old, and he’s going into year 11."

"So, and by the way, he won finals MVP two years ago," Green continued. "I think he just made the All-NBA second team this year. Was arguably controversially possibly could have been a first-team performer, but the votes are what they are. So it’s not an even swap. Like when you’re talking just player for player, it’s not."

Last season, the Sixers secured the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and stunned the No. 2 seed Celtics in the first round. With that in mind, sending Brown to the very team that eliminated them almost feels like gifting Philadelphia an even better chance of matching last season’s run, with expectations now set even higher.