Bill Simmons has a story from the Fanatics founder’s party that tells you just how the Sixers feel about their Jaylen Brown trade. And honestly, the quote is pretty damning if you’re a Celtics fan.
On his podcast this week, Simmons said he talked to someone who was at Michael Rubin’s White Party on the same day the deal went down. One of the 76ers’ owners was there, and people started asking about it. The owner’s response? A shrug and basically the words: ‘We couldn’t believe it either.’
That’s Philadelphia’s ownership admitting surprise that Boston let Brown go for so little. Simmons quoted the owner directly on the show: ‘We can’t believe we were able to get Jaylen Brown for what we gave up.’
It’s a level of candor that says a lot about how the 76ers front office views the trade. They sent Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and an unprotected 2031), and two seconds (2028 and 2030) to get the 29-year-old swingman. From their perspective, they got the best player in the deal and kept their core mostly intact. Losing George hurts but they clearly believe Brown is an upgrade for what they need right now.
Brown just wrapped up the best year of his career — 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, all career highs or ties. Shot 47.7 percent from the field, 34.7 from three. The guy is in his prime, ten years in, still getting better.
The Celtics were the team that drafted Brown and made him a centerpiece for years. But the trade talks had been quiet until this one got done. And the fact that an owner of another team is openly saying they couldn’t believe the price? That’s going to haunt the Boston front office for a while.
(The 76ers haven’t confirmed or commented on the story, but Simmons has a pretty solid track record inside the league.)
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