The Boston Celtics are trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, according to ESPN.

The stunning deal marks the end of Brown's enormously successful 10-season run in Boston. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft made five All-Star teams with the Celtics. He averaged at least 20 points for seven consecutive seasons, took the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals six times, the NBA Finals twice, and won Finals MVP as Boston won its 18th NBA championship in 2024. Now, he will continue his career in a rival city alongside a core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

Brown played alongside Jayson Tatum since Boston drafted the latter in 2017, but rumors about the Celtics splitting up the pair were common for practically their entire run. The Celtics were linked to a number of superstars like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant over the years, but never pulled the trigger on a Brown trade during his joint ascent with Tatum. The Celtics were rewarded for that faith with the 2024 title, but things slowly broke down from there.

Tatum tore his Achilles during Boston's title defense in 2025, and he missed most of the 2025-26 season. Brown had the best statistical season of his career in leading the Celtics to 56 wins, but Boston lost Game 7 of its first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers with Tatum out. That series exposed holes in Boston's roster that would be hard to address with both Tatum and Brown earning supermax salaries in this enormously restrictive CBA environment.

Brown responded by venting on Twitch after the Celtics were eliminated, claiming the NBA had an agenda against him. Perhaps just as notably, he called this season his "favorite year" of his basketball career rather than the 2024 title season. The Celtics, meanwhile, spent most of June negotiating a trade of Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Antetokounmpo was ultimately dealt to the Miami Heat, Boston elected to move on from Brown anyway and send him to Philadelphia in a shocker.

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Kid Rock on Being Friends With Trump: It's 'A Front Row Seat to the Greatest Shit Show on Earth'

July 1, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: U.S. President Donald Trump listens as entertainer Kid Rock speaks during an executive order signing event in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has signed an executive order against ticket scalping and reforming the live entertainment ticket industry. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) — Donald Trump and Kid Rock in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

MAGA mouthpiece Kid Rock is once again lauding President Donald Trump.

In an interview with Sky News Australia, the country-rock singer, born Bob Ritchie, sat down with host Paul Murray as part of a one-hour special, Trump’s America: 250 Years in the Making. Over the past decade, Ritchie has become one of the president’s biggest cheerleaders — receiving invitations to the White House, performing at Republican-affiliated music gigs, and chumming it up next to Trump at football games and UFC matches.

During a conversation that centered around Ritchie’s thoughts on America today, Murray asked what is was like to have a “buddy that’s running the world.”

It’s “fucking awesome,” replied the musician. When asked if the president “texts you randomly,” Ritchie said Trump did and “it’s one of my late-night drinking tricks because I know when to get him.” The singer said Trump “always picks up or he’ll call and check in just to shoot the shit,” adding, “He’s not calling me to [ask], ‘Hey, what should we do in Iran, Bob?’ I don’t get those calls.”

Ritchie continued, “I enjoy the hell out of hanging out with him and talking with him and just having a front row seat to the greatest shit show on Earth.”

Michaela Anne Has a Merch Sale Horror Story. She Knows Other Touring Artists Do Too

July 1, 2026

Michaela Anne, a singer-songwriter from Nashville, relays the struggles it takes to be a touring musician, and a working mom, in 2026 on a new episode of 'Nashville Now' podcast. — Michaela Anne, a singer-songwriter from Nashville, relays the struggles it takes to be a touring musician, and a working mom, on a new episode of 'Nashville Now' podcast.

Singer-songwriter Michaela Anne just may be the quintessential indie artist, one for whom the hustle never stops. She’s a working mom, a podcast host with her husband and bandmate, Aaron Shafer-Haiss, and the one in charge of keeping her music coming.

Michaela Anne, the daughter of a military father who moved around for the bulk of her childhood, eventually settled in Brooklyn, then Nashville. Now she’s on the move again: She’ll perform this July 4th weekend at Rolling Stone’s Stateside Festival, headlined by Noah Kahan, in Kingston, New York.

The festival stop is just one of many live dates she’ll play this summer in support of her new album, These Are the Days. It’s a completely independent release — Michaela Anne crowd-funded the LP too — that she will, like so many touring artists, be selling at the merch table after her shows. But getting the album, T-shirts, and other swag to the venues can often be a struggle. In a new interview with Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Michaela Anne recounts one merch “debacle” that left her in tears.

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While on a run with the band Fantastic Cat, Michaela Anne wowed the audience in the very first city she played and they bought up every copy of These Are the Days she had brought along — in a second suitcase that she paid to check with the airline, filled with 50 pounds of vinyl. She suddenly needed more to sell at the upcoming shows.

“I had my husband overnight a box of merch, $325, to Columbus [Ohio], the next morning. There were storms here in Tennessee, so it didn’t arrive. And if it’s a storm, it’s an ‘Act of God,’ so they won’t refund you. Then I don’t have any merch to sell,” Michaela Anne says. “I’m adding up all the potential dollars that I could have made, and now I’ve spent. It was so stressful.”

Eventually, the new merch was set to arrive, but the package store’s policy wouldn’t accept “Hold for Pickup” boxes. In other words, the songwriter had to be there as soon as the shipment arrived. She tried to plead her case to the manager.

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“He said, ‘Nope. I’m not going to do it. If I do it for you, I have to do it for everybody,’” she recalls. “I said, ‘Sir, can I please tell you my story? I’m a touring musician. The only way I make a living is from my merch sales, I have two young children at home’ …and I started to cry.”

The manager relented, not because of Michaela Anne’s tears, she says, but because he simply listened. “It’s a testament to the power of storytelling,” she says, “that it builds empathy and connects us to each other. He became invested… Later, I was getting coffee and that man called me: ‘Guess what I have waiting for you?’”

LeBron James went from his hometown to Tinseltown — here’s where he will likely take his talents next, ranked

LeBron James’ next team is likely the Warriors, with Cavs, Heat in mix

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Melissa Rohlin

NBA

LeBron James went from his hometown to Tinseltown — here’s where he will likely take his talents next, ranked

By Melissa Rohlin Published July 1, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET

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After LeBron James decided not to return to the Lakers for his unprecedented 24th NBA season, teams are clamoring to sign one of the greatest players of all-time, who apparently isn’t factoring money into his free-agency decision for the first time in his career.

The competition has gotten so intense that even the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, weighed in by reposting a report about how the state has the US’s best quality of life and tagging James in it. The PGA Tour got in on the fun as well, posting a photoshopped image of James wearing a Tour-branded polo and cap. Several NFL teams also jokingly shot their shot at the James sweepstakes.

With the competition fierce and James’s decision approaching, let’s break down where the four-time champion and four-time MVP will most likely land. They’re ranked in descending order of likelihood.

LeBron James, wearing a denim shirt, bucket hat, and sunglasses, holds a glass of wine. — Where LeBron James plays next season will be the talk of the NBA offseason. Getty Images

Golden State Warriors

Pros: James has said that if he could play alongside anyone in the NBA, it would be Steph Curry. They won a gold medal together at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. They met in four straight Finals from 2015-2018. They dominated the NBA over the last decade. How fun would it be if they teamed up in the twilight of their careers? It would be the greatest show in town, regardless of how deep they went in the playoffs. Not to mention, James is good friends with Draymond Green and has a lot of respect for Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows LeBron James in a white Lakers jersey jumping with a basketball in his right hand, Image 2 shows Basketball player LeBron James standing on court with his arms raised, in yellow Lakers uniform and pink shoes, Image 3 shows LeBron James holding the Larry O&#039;Brien trophy and the NBA Finals MVP trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship

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An image collage containing 5 images, Image 1 shows LeBron James in a black and purple Lakers jersey, Image 2 shows LeBron James and Anthony Davis celebrating with the Larry O&#039;Brien Championship Trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Finals, Image 3 shows Luka Doncic and LeBron James in Lakers jerseys, Image 4 shows LeBron James with arms around a teammate during a Lakers vs. Denver basketball game, Image 5 shows Jeanie Buss embraces an unknown Lakers player

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows LeBron James wearing a yellow Los Angeles Lakers jersey with the number 23, Image 2 shows LeBron James and Stephen Curry celebrating their Olympic gold medal win for Team USA, Image 3 shows Anthony Davis and LeBron James in their purple and gold Lakers jerseys during a game

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Cons: Next season, James will be 42, Curry will be 39 and Green will be 37. That’s geriatric in NBA terms. How could they compete against vastly younger and deeper teams such as the Spurs and Thunder? And if Anthony Davis is traded to the Warriors as part of the deal to acquire James, they’d just be adding another oft-injured player to a roster that’s already one injury away from disaster.

Comment: It would be pure cinema. It would be worth the risk. It’s where James would have the most fun.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry embracing after a game. — From rivals to friends, James and Steph Curry would be enticing and must-see TV all next season. Getty Images

Cleveland Cavaliers

Pros: This would tie a bow on James’ illustrious career. It’s where he was drafted in 2003 as the prospect with the highest expectations in NBA history. It’s where he sprinted past those expectations. It’s where he completed the greatest comeback of all-time, helping the Cavaliers storm back from a 3-1 series deficit in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Warriors, winning the franchise’s first-ever championship.

When the Lakers played in Cleveland in January, James teared up during a video tribute. This franchise still means so much to him. He grew up just 40 miles from Cleveland in Akron, Ohio. He still refers to himself as “The kid from Akron.” The basketball case would be pretty compelling too, with him playing alongside Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Cons: James wouldn’t want to be so far from his family. He has emphasized how hard it has been to miss so many of his children’s milestones throughout his career. He’s not going to move to the East Coast and be absent for all of his 11-year-old daughter’s volleyball games. Also, ever since James turned 40, his passion has become golf. Cleveland winters don’t exactly facilitate beautiful days spent on the green.

Comment: This would be the storybook ending for James. But it’s hard to imagine he’d pull the trigger on it.

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LeBron James in his Cleveland Cavaliers uniform during the 2018 NBA Finals. — A return to his hometown would make for a storybook ending for James. Getty Images

Miami Heat

Pros: The Heat already acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, and pairing him with James would be thrilling. James has strong ties to the Heat after carrying them to four straight Finals from 2011-2014, winning two championships. James has great relationships with Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. It’s hard to imagine James going somewhere in which he has no history at this point, so the Heat could be a destination that makes sense.

Cons: When James returned to Miami in March, it was obvious he doesn’t have the same sentimentality for the franchise that he has for Cleveland. He didn’t get choked up. He didn’t wax poetic about his time in Miami. Also, it’s going to take a while for the Heat to figure things out and become contenders in the East. Considering James is fast-approaching retirement, time is a luxury he doesn’t have.

Comment: James and Antetokounmpo would be an exciting pairing, but I don’t think this is really on the table.

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The most successful stop throughout his illustrious career, heading back to South beach would bring closure to James. Tribune News Service via Getty I

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Minnesota Timberwolves

Pros: This would be a basketball dream fit for James. Imagine him playing alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. That team would be so good. James loves Edwards, whom he mentored during the Olympic Games. The two of them would be riffing off of each other in the locker room and creating poetry on the hardwood.

Cons: It’s Minnesota. It’s freezing. It’s wet. That about sums it up.

Comment: There’s no way James is moving to Minnesota. It’s fun to imagine, but this is a nonstarter.

Anthony Edwards and LeBron James smiling on a basketball court. — One of the best fits from a personnel standpoint, James joining Anthony Edwards in Minnesota would make them among the title favorites. NBAE via Getty Images

Denver Nuggets

Pros: If there’s one player James doesn’t hesitate to heap praise on besides Curry, it’s Nikola Jokic. After the Nuggets swept the Lakers out of the 2023 Western Conference Finals, James was in awe of Jokic, praising his basketball IQ and literally tipping his hat to him. On his “Mind the Game” podcast, James added that Jokic is the most “dominant, complete player” he has played against.

Cons: James has no history with the Nuggets. Narratives are important to him. Would he really join Jokic’s team in what would potentially be his final season? Nah.

Comment: It would be fun in theory, but it ain’t happening.

LeBron James dribbling the basketball while Nikola Jokic guards him. — Arguably the two best offensive minds in the game on same team, James and Nikola Jokic would be thrilling every night. Denver Post via Getty Images

Honorable mention: San Antonio Spurs

Pros: If James were prioritizing winning his fifth championship above all else, he should go to San Antonio. Led by the 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs skyrocketed past their expectations this season, reaching the NBA Finals. But they lacked something very important: Someone with championship experience who could lead them in crunch time. They had double-digit leads in each of their four losses before making last-second mistakes that had major repercussions. James would be the perfect antidote to those mental collapses. He’d be surrounded by young guns. But San Antonio just signed Tobias Harris to a two-year, $31 million deal, all but closing the door on that opportunity.

Cons: Before the Harris signing, this was fun to think about. The idea of a real-life passing of the torch from James to Wembanyama would’ve been fascinating to witness.

Comment: Oh, well. It was fun to think about for three seconds.

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Where LeBron James plays next season will be the talk of the NBA offseason. Getty Images

From rivals to friends, James and Steph Curry would be enticing and must-see TV all next season. Getty Images

A return to his hometown would make for a storybook ending for James. Getty Images

The most successful stop throughout his illustrious career, heading back to South beach would bring closure to James. Tribune News Service via Getty I

One of the best fits from a personnel standpoint, James joining Anthony Edwards in Minnesota would make them among the title favorites. NBAE via Getty Images