Jaylen Brown Reacts to Celtics Departure: "Saying goodbye isn't easy when you've poured your heart in"

Roughly 24 hours after what was one of the NBA offseason's biggest surprises – the Celtics trading Jaylen Brown, their second-biggest star, to the 76ers, a key Eastern Conference rival, for 36-year-old Paul George and four future draft picks – the 2023/24 Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP has finally broken his silence.

In a statement released on Thursday, Brown, 29, who spent ten seasons in Boston after being drafted third overall in 2016, expressed a mix of emotions. "I'm still processing how all of this happened. I'm excited and disappointed at the same time," he stated, adding that he will carry with him "the relationships I built here, the battles we fought together, the championship we brought to this city, and the connection I shared with the fans."

Brown also thanked the fans and the city of Boston: "Saying goodbye isn't easy when you've poured your heart into something. To the people of Boston, thank you." Looking ahead, he expressed motivation for the new challenge in Philadelphia, a team aiming to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001.

"I'm excited about what's to come and grateful for the opportunity to join Philadelphia. Every city has its own identity, its own passion, and its own expectations. I respect that and I'm eager to earn that respect the only way I know how: through hard work."

The disappointment of Neemias Queta's former teammate appears to stem from how the Celtics managed his situation over the past few years. According to ESPN journalist Shams Charania, the team had already attempted to trade the player for Kevin Durant in 2022, and last summer, they were receptive to offers. The decision to trade him intensified this offseason when management concluded that the duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum wasn't the formula for winning another championship.

Charania further revealed that while offers for Jayson Tatum were "completely rejected," in Jaylen Brown's case, the Celtics were "fully open to negotiating," despite the player never requesting a trade. The five-time All-Star averaged 28.7 points in 2025/26 and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time.