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Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown for Paul George

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 2:39 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Celtics Acquire George

The Boston Celtics acquired veteran forward Paul George from the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade.
The deal sent guard Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for George and four future draft picks.
George, 36, signed a $52.9 million contract for 2026-27 with a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.
He said he feels fully healed from knee injuries and will support Jayson Tatum, not replace Brown.

Summary

Sixers Sign James

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the Brown-George trade reflects inevitable second-apron budget constraints.
Analysts argue the deal reduces the Celtics’ 2026-27 championship equity and offers limited salary-cap relief.
The Sixers signed free-agent LeBron James in the offseason, positioning them as a potential title contender.
Sources said Jayson Tatum’s camp was dissatisfied with Brown’s demeanor, influencing the trade decision.

History

Historical Context

The NBA first tried a salary cap in the mid-1940s, dropped it after one season, and reinstated a $4.6 million hard cap for 1984-85 to promote parity. Subsequent CBAs kept a soft cap but added a luxury-tax penalty, most recently raising the 2022-23 cap to $123.655 million. That legacy explains why the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers trade of Jaylen Brown for Paul George is described by Adam Silver as a cap-driven move.

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Celtics Acquire George

The Boston Celtics acquired veteran forward Paul George from the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade.
The deal sent guard Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for George and four future draft picks.
George, 36, signed a $52.9 million contract for 2026-27 with a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.
He said he feels fully healed from knee injuries and will support Jayson Tatum, not replace Brown.

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