Bobby Marks Says 76ers Got Jaylen Brown ‘Essentially’ for Free in Celtics Trade

The Philadelphia 76ers just pulled off a trade that feels almost too good to be true. And according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, it might actually be that lopsided.

Marks and Brian Windhorst broke down the deal on their podcast this week, and the takeaway is something Sixers fans are going to love. The 76ers sent Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown. On paper that looks like a lot. But the way Marks sees it, the real price was almost nothing.

“So did they get Jaylen Brown for free?” Windhorst asked.

“Essentially,” Marks replied. “The market for Paul George was not good.”

Paul George’s albatross contract made him nearly untradeable

Here’s the context that makes this sting for Boston. Philadelphia signed George to a four-year, $212 million deal in 2024. He’s 36 now and has only played 78 games over two seasons. This year he averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals. Solid numbers for most guys but not for a max contract guy his age.

Windhorst floated the idea that the Sixers had an “undying desire” to unload George even before the Celtics came calling. Marks said Philadelphia would have needed to attach an unprotected first-round pick just to move him in a normal trade. They didn’t have to do that here.

Brown is 29 and fresh off an MVP-caliber season. He put up career highs of 28.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He made All-NBA Second Team and finished sixth in MVP voting. He’s also a former Finals MVP. And now he’s joining Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe in Philly.

The weird part is that this deal came together quietly. The Sixers and Celtics are bitter rivals. It felt almost impossible that Boston would send a star player to Philadelphia. But here we are.

There’s also some personal history here. Brown recently called out Marks publicly after Marks shared an analytics take that Brown was the “seventh-best player on a team.” Marks clarified that he didn’t agree with that assessment and called Brown a legitimate stud. Which, given that Marks now basically says Philly stole him, makes sense.

The 76ers went from a team stuck with an aging expensive forward to a legitimate contender in one move. Boston took on George’s contract and got some draft capital. But the talent gap in this trade is enormous. Philly got younger, cheaper and significantly better overnight.