Jaylen Brown trade grades: The Sixers are a threat in the Eastern Conference
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Day 1 GradesJaylen Brown Traded to 76ersMitchell Robinson To BostonKawhi Back To TorontoJaylen Brown trade grades: The Sixers are a threat in the Eastern Conference
Jaylen Brown and Paul George squared off in the first round of this year's playoffs. Now they've been traded for each other. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images
By Zach HarperJuly 1, 2026 7:07 pm EDT UpdatedWhere there’s smoke, there’s fire.
After the Boston Celtics tried to deal Jaylen Brown in an attempt to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this offseason, there was a lot of conjecture about whether or not they needed to trade the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. He was visibly upset in his Twitch streams, but the Celtics are rarely reactionary in handling this kind of stuff.
Turns out, they’re reacting.
Boston is trading Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 via the LA Clippers, their own in 2031) and two second-round picks. It’s another blockbuster in a summer of blockbusters.
ESPN first reported the deal. This is a major shift for the Celtics, and it’s potentially a move that turns the Sixers into a much more serious threat in the Eastern Conference. What does it all mean? Let’s bust out the red ink and slap some grades on this trade.
76ers receive Jaylen Brown
What a massive swing by the 76ers, who came back from down 3-1 against the Celtics in the first round to beat them in a playoff series for the first time since 1982. The Sixers have been worried about surviving the Joel Embiid experience from season to season, as their potential hinges on his availability. Last season, they figured that out a lot better with Tyrese Maxey continuing to rise as a star, and VJ Edgecombe immediately making an impact as a star rookie.
George did not have a great season and missed 25 games due to a suspension at one point. Now the 76ers replace him in the lineup with Brown, who is coming off the best individual season of his career. The Sixers can now roll out a perimeter attack of Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe, which is going to be nearly impossible for teams to match up against. On the nights Embiid is available and active, they could be one of the best teams in the East. On the nights when Embiid is struggling or unable to play, they’ll still be fine.
Brown has an incredible ability to attack off the dribble, and the Sixers now have a few guys who can do that. Brown has over $180 million owed to him over the next three seasons, and he’s eligible for a two-year extension worth over $140 million. The Sixers can commit to the All-NBA wing for a half-decade for a major portion of their salary cap, but the firepower and stability this team has is something it hasn’t had during the Embiid era.
The Sixers can legitimately challenge the Knicks in the East now, but they’ll still need to be healthy. Remember, New York just swept them in the second round. Swapping George for Brown changes that dynamic a lot.
Grade: A
Celtics receive Paul George, two first-round picks, two second-round picks
This feels like a panic move. The Celtics know the inner workings and dynamics of this situation far better than anybody outside the organization. However, Brown is signed for the next three years, and you could have eased his feelings a lot with that aforementioned contract extension. It’s hard to believe that wouldn’t have eased the tension when you also remind him that you won a championship together just a couple of years ago.
The Celtics’ decision to go with George instead of Brown is a massive downgrade. He has a much more alarming injury history, and he’s simply not as good. George is 36 years old with one more year on his contract for $54 million and then a player option in 2027-28 for over $56 million. He’s not a long-term solution, and he’s not a better solution. The Celtics are hoping this gets them very good roster and cap flexibility within two years to pair other people with Jayson Tatum. At the same time, they’re praying that the draft picks from the Sixers will greatly benefit them.
The 2028 first-round pick could convert from a pick to a swap if it benefits Boston that way. The 2031 pick is unprotected. Is that enough to make it worth it to downgrade from Brown to George? The Utah Jazz got more for Walker Kessler than the Celtics are probably getting for an All-NBA 29-year-old in good health.
Unless those picks really hit or they acquire some major help for Tatum within two years, they should have rolled the dice with Brown.
Grade: D+
Jul 1, 2026Connections: Sports Edition
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Tagged To: NBA trade deadlineNBA HighlightsJaylen BrownPaul GeorgeNBA‘Jalen Hurts Is on Notice’
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Craig EllenportWed, July 1, 2026 at 6:53 PM UTC·3 min readPhiladelphia Eagles rookies and veterans formally open training camp on July 28. While it’s an opportunity to work on all three phases of the game ahead of the 2026 NFL season, fans and media alike will be hyper-focused on the offense — and quarterback Jalen Hurts in particular.
There’s a real glass half-full/half-empty feel to this team. On the plus side, the Eagles are the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles in two decades. On the minus side, after going 11-6 and losing in the first round of the playoffs, this team looked nothing like the 2024 version that went 14-3 before destroying the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter lingering speculation about a toxic on-field relationship between Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, the Eagles finally pulled the trigger last month and traded Brown to the New England Patriots.
Now that Hurts won’t be feeling the pressure to keep Brown happy with targets, will that outweigh the loss of having such a productive player in the lineup?
Time will tell. In five seasons as Philly’s starting quarterback, Hurts has consistently played well, yet his penchant to go off-script has occasionally frustrated head coach Nick Sirianni, and there remains a good-sized contingent of NFL analysts who are not ready to call Hurts an elite QB.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHe’ll be closely watched in 2026.
“Jalen Hurts is on notice: Do it their way,” said one rival scout. “The Eagles have sent several unsubtle messages to Hurts through the media. They want him to play within their system and not freelance. He has taken the high road so far.”
Those comments appear in the Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview magazine, which is available online and at newsstands nationwide.
Hurts completed 64.8% of his passes last season for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a passer rating of 98.5, adding 421 yards and eight more touchdowns on the ground.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHurts already has 63 career rushing touchdowns, third on the all-time list behind Josh Allen (79) and Cam Newton (75). Hurts has 10 career rushing touchdowns in the postseason, most among all active players.
Despite the success, it will be fascinating to see how he does this season without Brown. With DeVonta Smith still in the picture, he’s got a reliable No. 1 target. The receiving room was bolstered this offseason with additions of first-round draft pick Makai Lemon and veteran acquisitions Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown.
AdvertisementAdvertisementPerhaps the most important addition is the hiring of new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will be the team’s sixth offensive coordinator in Hurts’ now seven seasons as an Eagle (including 2020, when head coach Doug Pederson was the de facto OC).
Mannion has worked under three of the most respected offensive head coaches in the NFL for the last nine years; he was the quarterbacks coach the last two years for Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers. Over the previous seven seasons, Mannion was a backup quarterback playing for Kevin O’Connell’s Minnesota Vikings and Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams.
Even with all the attention on Mannion and Hurts, true success for the Eagles might come down to the performance of running back Saquon Barkley. After rushing for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, those numbers were nearly cut in half last season — 1,140 yards and seven rushing TDs.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“Saquon Barkley is a true impact runner,” the rival scout said. “They need a huge year from him.”
Related: Athlon Sports 2026 NFL Preview Magazine Now Available
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
ESPN’s Commanders Offseason Grade Has One Major Problem — And It Isn’t the Grade
ESPN’s Commanders Offseason Grade Has One Major Problem — And It Isn’t the Grade
ESPN’s C+ grade for Washington isn't the real issue here. The mistake is pretending that moving on from Kliff Kingsbury was a step backward. The roster looks drastically different, sure, but the biggest change this year is a schematic overhaul designed to keep Jayden Daniels upright and healthy.Philip Hughes|
In this story:
Washington CommandersThe Washington Commanders getting a C+ from ESPN in its annual 2026 NFL offseason grades is not the part that should bother anyone all that much.
That is not to say that all fans will agree with it. It also does not mean the team had a bad offseason. The Commanders were active this offseason, especially on defense, where Odafe Oweh, Nick Cross, Amik Robertson, Leo Chenal, K’Lavon Chaisson, and first-round pick Sonny Styles gave the unit an instant facelift after last season’s struggles.
For the Commanders, 'active' does not mean 'finished.' Normally, we make a point of tracking the national media’s level of respect for Washington when it appears the team is being overlooked. This is not one of those moments, as the grade itself is not that hard to understand. Washington still has some spots, at least on the surface, that feel unsettled.
There will also likely be another wave of free-agent workouts and roster churn before camp and again before the regular season. That does not mean the Commanders will sign anyone, but it does mean the roster should not be treated as a final product yet.
Firing Kliff Kingsbury Wasn't a Blame Game—It Was a Structural Pivot
The bigger issue with ESPN's breakdown was not the grade; it was the move the columnist chose to criticize the most. ESPN’s blurb listed the decision to move on from Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator as the offseason move it most disliked. That was where the argument got shaky, as it went on to say that if anyone should be the one on the warmer seat, it was Dan Quinn. That is not necessarily an outrageous take, but it also does not make the Kingsbury decision wrong.
The Real Debate: Roster Question Marks at WR2 and Cornerback
As far as the roster is concerned, the Commanders need more clarity at receiver and cornerback. Terry McLaurin is the top receiver in the building, and adding Chig Okonkwo gives the offense access to a legit weapon at tight end. That is not the issue. The question is whether Washington already has a WR2 hidden on the roster who needs to step up, or whether it should add one once camp begins.
The names have stayed the same over the past few weeks as 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk and free-agent receiver Stefon Diggs have remained part of the national conversation. Both of those names will keep floating around in fan conversation even if neither should be treated as the answer.
A similar conversation can be had at cornerback, just without the same star-power names attached. Washington has options there, but it is fair to wonder whether it has enough proven depth to hold up for a full season.
Protecting the Franchise: Building an Offense That Outlasts Weekly Matchups
2024 Rookie Jayden Daniels pic.twitter.com/vNSn97mvCz
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) June 26, 2026
Moving on from Kingsbury should not be viewed through the lens of Washington blaming him for everything that went wrong last season. The defense was the clear issue, but a team can know one side of the ball is to blame and still understand the other side needs to change too. That also appears to be the point.
Washington is not just trying to get quarterback Jayden Daniels through weekly matchups. They are trying to build an offense around him that will last, headed by new offensive coordinator David Blough. This includes better protecting him by using a more traditional approach of lining him up under center, rather than constant shotgun, and using play-action more often off the run game.
That is not to say Kingsbury's offense lacked value. It may also not have provided the best long-term answer for where the Commanders want Daniels to go next. That is a fairly sizable difference, and a legitimate reason for Washington to make a change.
The C+ grade is fair, given the overall argument is that Washington still has work to do. But calling the Kingsbury firing the move to dislike most completely dodges what Washington appears to be trying to become.
The grade is not the problem. The explanation is where the debate begins.
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Published 52 minutes ago | Modified 52 minutes ago
PHILIP HUGHESPhilip Hughes covers the Washington Commanders with a focus on daily news, film analysis, roster construction, player development, and the fan culture surrounding one of the NFL’s most scrutinized teams. A longtime sports writer and content creator, Hughes has spent more than 20 years building football audiences across the interwebs and following the daily beat of the NFC East. email: [email protected]
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