The Boston Celtics made the significant decision to trade away Jaylen Brown this offseason in exchange for the Philadelphia 76ers' veteran All-Star Paul George and multiple future draft picks. And with the move, general manager Brad Stevens immediately faced heavy criticism for trading away the team's 2024 NBA Finals MVP. Brown had just helped Boston reach the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed this past season with Jayson Tatum in injury recovery mode and playing just 16 regular-season games.
With the potential of an unpopular move being tied to his time as GM, Stevens recently opened up about the challenging and complex aspects of his job, also adding an interesting statement regarding Brown's legacy. "I get a lot of emails and a lot of people that ask about wanting to be a GM. I'm like, 'I wish you would've been around last summer when we basically had to trade Jrue Holiday.' That's like brutal," he said, per Boston Globe's Avery Hill.
"Or we go through this long, arduous process and ultimately decide to trade Jaylen, whose numbers will likely go up in the rafters in Boston. More news: Klay Thompson Gives High Praise for Erik Spoelstra After Joining Heat It's yet another eye-opening statement from the Celtics' GM about the player who carried the team this past season, achieved five All-Star appearances, and was the NBA Finals MVP for another of the franchise's championships. Boston drafted Brown No. 3 overall in 2016, and he spent up until this past season giving his all to the team.
He tallied 13,474 points along with 3,700 rebounds, 1,973 assists, and 684 steals during his team wearing Celtics green. However, a business decision was made, and a shocking one, which many believe made the Philadelphia 76ers better. Brown is joining the Celtics' Eastern Conference rivals, and also a team that has a stacked starting lineup with VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and major offseason signing LeBron James.
While Brown has suggested he was "disappointed" in how some things were handled with his trade out of Boston, it seems Stevens continues to think highly of the former Celtics star. Most likely, an olive branch can be extended in the future, especially to recognize the importance of Brown's 10-plus years with the team. More news: Candace Parker Calls Out WNBA Refs on Paige Bueckers-Caitlin Clark Incident For more about the Boston Celtics and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
