Jaylen Brown reportedly traded to 76ers for Paul George in blockbuster deal after Celtics miss out on Giannis Antetokounmpo
Chris CwikContributing writerWed, July 1, 2026 at 11:17 PM UTC·4 min readAfter experiencing the best season of his Boston Celtics career, Jaylen Brown is heading to a new franchise. Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, ending his decade-long stay with the Celtics.
In exchange, the Celtics will receive 76ers star Paul George, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Celtics will also receive two future first-round picks in 2028 and 2031, and two future second-round picks in 2028 and 2030.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe deal comes days after Brown was mentioned as a major part of a trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That deal fell through, as the Milwaukee Bucks opted to trade Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. With Antetokounmpo no longer available, there was some thought Brown would return to the Celtics. But the team had other plans.
George averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, his second with the 76ers. He appeared in only 37 games, however, due to both a knee injury and a 25-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. The 76ers went 45-37 last season and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Brown will now get to team up with star Joel Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey. That duo, along with George and VJ Edgecombe, got the 76ers to match what has been their deepest postseason run in decades. The franchise, however, hasn't made it to the Eastern Conference finals since 2001, when they fell in the NBA Finals with Allen Iverson.
George will make $54.1 million next season and has a $56.6 million player option for the 2027-2028 season. Brown will make $57 million, $61 million and $64.9 million over the final three seasons on his contract.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe deal marks the end of Brown's tenure in Boston. It was an incredibly productive decade of work, as Brown worked his way up from defensive stalwart to All-Star player to MVP candidate.
After being selected by the Celtics with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brown's career got off to a modest start. As a rookie, he averaged just 6.6 points per game. His defense, however, was a strong point. In his second season, Brown received down-ballot Defensive Player of the Year votes.
After a disappointing third season, in which Brown averaged 13 points per game, he took a big step forward offensively. He averaged over 20 points for the first time in his career during the 2019-20 NBA season and hasn't fallen below that threshold since.
Despite his success, it took until the 2020-21 season for Brown to earn his first All-Star Game nod. Since then, Brown has averaged 24.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He's made a total of five All-Star Games, been named to the second-team All-NBA team twice, finished sixth in the MVP voting once and helped lead the Celtics to the 2023-24 NBA championship, earning Finals MVP for his performance.
The trade comes at a curious time for Brown and the Celtics. With Jayson Tatum recovering from an Achilles injury for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Celtics were expected to take a big step back. But Brown took his game to another level, averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game with Tatum sidelined and leading the team to a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics, however, couldn't carry that momentum through in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Sixers.
That premature exit may have resulted in the Celtics re-evaluating their relationship with Brown … again. It's reportedly not the first time that the team has dangled Brown in trade talks, as the Celtics were reportedly willing to include Brown in a deal for Kevin Durant back in 2022.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThat deal also fell through, leading to Brown eventually signing a five-year, $285 million extension to remain with the Celtics. Brown has played two seasons under that deal. He's owed $57 million, $61 million and then $64 million over the next three years.
That contract — as well as the awkwardness of bringing Brown back after another failed trade attempt — may have led to the Celtics deciding it was best to cut bait on Brown even after the Antetokounmpo trade fell through.
The team seemed to signal as much after the 2026 NBA Draft, when it reportedly engaged in trade talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves that involved Brown. The Timberwolves eventually decided to trade for LaMelo Ball instead.
Brown has undoubtedly been a massive win for the Celtics over the past decade. His rise helped fuel the team's recent dominance and played a major role in the franchise winning another championship.
AdvertisementAdvertisementDespite that, the team felt it was better to move ahead without Brown. After a decade of excellence together, the team will now have to prove it made the right choice. Now, the Celtics will get to do that with George and a number of future draft picks available to them.
Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
Story by
Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
In this story:
Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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