Joe Mazzulla isn’t over it yet. And he’s not pretending to be.
The Celtics head coach admitted he’s still working through the emotional fallout of the Jaylen Brown trade, a deal that sent the All-NBA wing to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and some draft picks. Speaking to Jay King of The Athletic, Mazzulla framed it less like a roster move and more like a personal loss.
“There needs to be a grieving process for losing not just a player in Jaylen, but a person in Jaylen,” Mazzulla said. “There needs to be a grieving process that this guy, what he has done on the court and what he’s done in the community and what he’s done for the city of Boston, there should be a grieving process. But the gray area is throughout that loss, you’re also gaining.”
Brown had been a fixture in Boston since the Celtics drafted him third overall in 2016. He developed into a two-way star, an MVP candidate, and one of the most visible players in the league on social issues. Off the court, his work in the community — particularly around education and racial justice — made him a beloved figure in the city. Fans flooded social media with tributes when the trade broke, and the reaction hasn’t fully cooled off yet.
What makes the deal harder to swallow for some is the timing. Mazzulla just won Coach of the Year after leading Boston to a 56-win season that was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Then came the playoffs. The Celtics blew a 3-1 lead in the first round to — wait for it — the 76ers. The same team that just landed Brown. So the optics are brutal: Boston traded its homegrown star to the very team that bounced them from the postseason, and that team now looks like a legitimate contender.
George brings a different skill set. He’s a versatile scorer and elite defender who, in theory, fits seamlessly into Boston’s system. But he’s also 34 and has a history of injuries. The Celtics are betting that his ceiling, paired with Jayson Tatum, is higher than what Brown could offer long-term. It’s a gamble that could define the franchise for years.
Mazzulla isn’t the only one still processing this. Stevens took heavy criticism from fans who feel the front office panicked after a bad playoff exit. Some of that anger is directed at the ownership level too, especially after reports surfaced that the front office wanted to move Brown before he could test free agency.
For now, Mazzulla is trying to hold two thoughts at once: honor what Brown meant to the city while getting ready to coach a team with a new star. It’s not easy, and he’s not pretending it is.
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