Charles Barkley Says the Jaylen Brown Trade Would Have ‘Pissed Me Off’. He Has a Point.

Charles Barkley does not mince words. That is not a new development. But his take on the Jaylen Brown trade to the Philadelphia 76ers cuts straight to the bone, and it makes a ton of sense if you think about it for more than a second.

Speaking on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Barkley said the way Brown got shipped out of Boston should light a fire under him for the entire season. The deal sent Brown to the Sixers in exchange for Paul George plus a pile of draft picks. And because these two teams share a division, they will see each other four times a year, minimum, with a real chance of a playoff meeting.

“They gave him away for nothing, but also you’re like, ‘Yeah, we want to get rid of you so bad, we gave you away basically for nothing, and we get to play against you multiple times and probably in the playoffs,’” Barkley said. “So if I’m Jaylen Brown, man, this is gonna make me… if this doesn’t motivate you as Jaylen Brown, you’re not a competitor.”

Barkley did not stop there. He made it personal.

“This would piss me off so bad because not only did you trade me after I had probably my best season, you got to play against me four or five times a year and the playoffs,” Barkley added.

Brown didn’t hide his anger

Barkley’s reaction mirrors pretty closely what Brown himself said during a Twitch livestream last week. Brown did not hold back. He called out the Celtics front office, specifically president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, for how the whole thing went down.

“I think Brad is probably getting a lot of the criticism. I wasn’t thrilled the way he facilitated some of the conversations, but I definitely think there’s more to it,” Brown said. “There’s definitely more to it. I just wish that the more to it could’ve been explained to me, ’cause if the more to it was explained, I think I would’ve understood. I thought I earned respect enough to get that explanation, but hey, obviously I was wrong.”

Brown also said the process felt disrespectful. He noted that things were fine at one point and then “out of nowhere things just kind of went left.” ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the trade, which sent Brown to Philly for George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. The deal ended weeks of rumors, though league sources said Brown never formally asked for a trade.

So now Brown lands in Philadelphia, a team that spent the offseason remaking its roster. The Sixers look legitimately dangerous in the East. And the first game between Boston and Philly is already circled on every calendar in both cities. Brown gets to prove a point. Barkley thinks he will. And honestly, it is hard to argue.