The Celtics trading Jaylen Brown to the 76ers this summer hit the locker room hard. Jordan Walsh didn’t try to hide it.
Brown spent 10 years in Boston, won a title in 2024, and was the longest-tenured Celtic before the front office sent him to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft picks. Walsh played alongside Brown for two seasons, from 2024 to 2026, and saw firsthand what the veteran meant to the team.
“It’s tough. Especially when it’s a guy like that. Especially when it’s a guy you’re really close to … it’s the business of it. The business sometimes dictates how things move, how people move more than the basketball does,” Walsh said, via reporter Bob Manning.
He kept going. “That may be the case, that may not be the case, we don’t know. But I know I’m missing a guy who I’m really close with, who’s been a mentor for me, who’s done a lot for me & obviously we wish him the best, but if we gotta see him on the court, he’s gonna get the same treatment.”
Walsh is the kind of young player who benefits from a veteran presence like Brown. He showed real growth in Year 2, appearing in 68 games and averaging 5.4 points and four rebounds. The Celtics need him to keep developing, especially now that the core looks different around Jayson Tatum.
Boston finished 56-26 last season, grabbing the second seed in the East. But they blew a 3-1 series lead against the 76ers in the first round, losing in seven games. That collapse probably sped up the urgency to make changes. Brown was the casualty.
The front office has been active since then — added players in the draft, filled holes in free agency. But the roster still has question marks. How does the chemistry shift without Brown? Does Paul George slot in cleanly alongside Tatum? Can Walsh step into a bigger role?
For now, Walsh is just focused on the summer grind. Training camp starts in the fall, and he’ll be there. But he’s not pretending the goodbye didn’t sting.
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