The “honeymoon is officially over” for new Celtics owner Bill Chisholm and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens as there is “no way they will be able to sell” trading F Jaylen Brown to the 76ers to their fan base, according to Dan Shaughnessy of the BOSTON GLOBE. The deal “won’t fly in a region that measures basketball success in championships.” The trade, which brought F Paul George and several draft picks back to Boston, leaves “suspicions that Celtics new ownership is not about winning.” Shaughnessy: “The trading of Jaylen Brown can only be viewed as one of the worst trades in Boston sports history” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/2).
OTHER MOTIVES AT PLAY? In Boston, Gary Washburn wrote Stevens “pulled off the most controversial, stunning, and perhaps worst trade in the history of the franchise.” The deal is an “indication Stevens and the brass wanted Brown out of Boston, regardless of the return.” The criticism of Stevens and this “so-called pristine Celtics culture has begun, because this deal can be considered terrible even to the most novice of basketball fans.” He added this is “a terrible look for the Celtics,” and “not even the poised and congenial Stevens can explain this with a straight face.” The Chisholm era “has been filled with nothing but cost cutting” since he purchased the team less than a year ago, and the last 13 months “have proven that maybe winning isn’t the main priority in Boston” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/1).
A SIGN OF COST-CUTTING? In Boston, Zack Cox wondered was the Brown trade “financially driven.” It only saves the Celtics about $3M this season, but Brown’s remaining contract is one year longer than George’s, and Brown will “become eligible for a two-year, big-money extension later this month.” Cox: “Did the call to trade Brown and his hefty salary come down from Bill Chisholm’s ownership group? Did the Celtics, in this current era of luxury-tax penalties and apron restrictions, not see a path back to true contention with Brown and Jayson Tatum both on supermax contracts? Are they already looking ahead to next summer, when they could attempt to flip George’s expiring deal to build out a stronger supporting cast around Tatum?” (BOSTON HERALD, 7/1). SI’s Chris Mannix writes Chisholm and his private equity partners “have taken some arrows,” but taking on George -- and “absorbing one of the worst contracts in the NBA -- isn’t the act of an owner trying to pinch pennies” (SI, 7/2).
FAILING GRADE: SI’s McKeone, Lyons & Phillips wrote it “cannot be overstated how badly the Celtics bungled” the return for Brown. There is “no getting around the fact that Boston traded Brown for pennies on the dollar after a career season” and there is a “very real chance this goes down as one of the worst trades in modern NBA history.” They added this is “nothing less than a catastrophic move,” giving the Celtics a “F” grade (SI, 7/1). CBSSPORTS.com’s Sam Quinn noted the Celtics received a “D-” grade for the trade, adding the “easiest comparison” for it is the mavericks trading Luka Dončić to the Lakers in 2025. The Celtics “traded the better and younger player for an older, worse one, with minimal draft capital attached.” Quinn: “On paper, this is a catastrophe” (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/1).
BROWN’S DEPARTURE GOES DEEPER: In Boston, Jack Simone wrote Stevens is “going to face questions, and rightfully so” for trading Brown. This is “by far the worst trade he has made in his tenure as GM,” and there is a “massive canyon between this and the next-worst move.” Simone: “This is as close to a straight-up salary dump as is conceivable.” The trade was made “without even considering how much Brown meant to the City of Boston.” Simone: “How much social work he did to try to improve the city. The 10 years he spent in Boston trying to strengthen the community and grow his roots here. When you consider that side of things, it all gets even worse” (BOSTON SPORTS JOURNAL, 7/1).
