“There’s Ups and Downs”: Jaylen Brown Clarifies His Relationship With Jayson Tatum After Trade to 76ers

It's been one month since Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. For nine years, NBA fans have grown accustomed to the duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum with the Boston Celtics. Brown and Tatum were responsible for the Celtics' two Finals appearances in the 2020s, culminating in a championship in 2024.

Sad to say, that era has come to an end after Celtics president Brad Stevens surprisingly decided to let go of JB. In his introductory press conference for the 76ers, Brown opened up about what his relationship is now like with Tatum after getting traded to Philly.

"We won a championship together," Brown noted. "So, anybody that you win a championship with, you would think like that’s what a brotherhood or lifelong legacy would entail."

"Obviously, there are ups and downs in any type of relationship for sure," Brown continued. "But on my end, it’s nothing but respect, you know, besides, when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well. But other than that, everything for me is based on respect."

JB was then asked if he was able to talk to JT after getting traded. Surprisingly, they haven't.

"Not really," Brown said about whether he has talked to Tatum or not.

For the first time in their careers, Brown and Tatum are entering the 2026-27 season as Eastern Conference rivals.

While we can't say for sure yet, we're expecting a heated matchup between the 76ers and Celtics, especially given how Brown has openly expressed feeling betrayed by his former team.

Jaylen Brown Gets Candid About How He Felt After Getting Traded to the 76ers

For 10 seasons, Jaylen Brown has pledged his loyalty to the Boston Celtics. From the time he was drafted to the Celtics' rebuilding efforts, all the way to the team's championship run, Brown was there to fight through it all.

As a Celtic, JB notched an NBA Championship, an NBA Finals MVP award, an NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, and five All-Star selections. Given those accolades, one wouldn't expect Boston to let him go.

However, to everyone's surprise, the Celtics pulled the trigger and traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. During his introductory press conference for the Sixers, Brown shared how he reacted to the news of getting traded to Philly.

"When I first got traded, I just threw my phone across the room," Brown said. "It might've been (Tyrese Maxey) who reached out to me first. He reached out and was like, 'I know there's a lot of stuff going on right now, but we're excited to have you.'"

While it's sad to see him leave Boston, one could argue that Brown is now in a much better situation.

His newfound teammates feature Joel Embiid, LeBron James, and Tyrese Maxey. He also has a budding star in VJ Edgecombe.

Given the circumstances, Brown is now surrounded by much better teammates and has a high chance of winning the title this coming season.