The entire NBA community was absolutely shellshocked when the Philadelphia 76ers were able to trade for Jaylen Brown by simply cutting ties with Paul George, two first-round picks, and a couple of second-rounders. It was easily the grandest heist of the year, one that could very well alter the landscape of the league for the foreseeable future.
The 76ers appear to have gotten away with an even bigger fleece job than people have proclaimed, which is already an absurd proposition. After all, according to longtime analyst Kirk Goldsberry, even prior to them locking in on Brown, the front office was already selling hard on George by attaching a first-round pick just to shed his contract away. That they only had to add another first-rounder and two seconds only makes this trade even sweeter for Philly.
Before trading him for Jaylen Brown, the 76ers were attempting to dump Paul George contract and were willing to attach a first-round pick, per @kirkgoldsberry
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 4, 2026
(h/t @sixers_galaxy) pic.twitter.com/8AmKVfiddk
Brown had his best individual campaign this past season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He was the biggest reason why despite not having Jayson Tatum for all but 16 regular season games, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference race. That is the kind of player the 76ers got for an aging George and expendable draft ammunition. Surreal.
The 76ers pulled off an even bigger heist for Jaylen Brown as stunning Paul George revelation gets spilled
George's two seasons with the 76ers were marred by injuries and an uneventful suspension that caused him to miss 25 contests this past season. While he played well enough when he came back from the latter, there was no doubt that his contract was way too lucrative when scaled to his actual level of production. He is way past his prime, and it was an imperative for the front office to try to find a way to get off of his deal.
Did the Celtics fail to recognize the leverage that they had in view of the 76ers' apparent desperation? Attaching first-round picks just to jettison albatross contracts is a huge deal, which makes it all the more unbelievable that Brad Stevens and his crew would fumble the bag this badly.
Well, the 76ers obviously won't complain about their rival making such a rash and foolish decision, but it is certainly worth pondering. Now, Philly will enter the season having the most formidable quarter in the league talent-wise, and despite their roster holes, that might be more than enough for them to mount a deep playoff run next season.
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