Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens held a Monday press conference with owner Bill Chisholm to address last week's trade sending Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. The deal brought back Paul George along with two first-round picks and two second-round picks. Stevens stressed that the team was not present to defend the move.
Stevens spoke for more than 40 minutes and repeatedly cited the need for optionality through future draft assets. He pointed to the team's previous cap allocation, noting that 70 percent would have been committed to Brown and Jayson Tatum this season. The executive added that the structure allows greater flexibility after two seasons at most with George's contract.
Brown had just finished a career year that included All-Star and second-team All-NBA selections while leading the Celtics to the second seed in the Eastern Conference. George, who turned 36, has a more extensive injury history and played only 37 games last season. Stevens said he lost sleep over the reaction from fans who wear Brown jerseys.
The trade sent Brown to a longtime rival, and Stevens acknowledged that an identical offer from a Western Conference team would have been preferable. He expressed regret if Brown felt disrespected and said he hopes to speak with the player in the future.
