Jaylen Brown issues first statement after blockbuster trade sends Celtics star to 76ers

Jaylen Brown has released his first public statement following a blockbuster trade that sends him from the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers. In a message posted to social media on July 2, Brown expressed gratitude to Boston supporters, acknowledged the emotional difficulty of leaving, and emphasized that his focus in his next chapter will be earning respect through work on the court.

Brown’s statement began with a faith reference, thanking “the Most High” and then turning to the practical reality of the moment. He said he is “still processing how this all went down,” while also describing competing feelings of excitement and disappointment. Brown said he believes he earned the respect of Boston through consistent effort, writing that he “never asked for shortcuts or special treatment” and instead “showed up every day.”

He credited the relationships he built in Boston for the bonds he will carry with him, referencing “the battles we fought together,” the championship the franchise brought to the city, and the connection he shared with fans. Brown also framed his view of the fan relationship through actions, adding that he is “big on respect and actions speak louder than words.” In closing, he addressed Boston directly with thanks to “the people of Boston,” and said he is “looking forward to earning that respect” in Philadelphia, “through the work.”

Details of the trade itself have been discussed across multiple outlets, with reporting describing a Celtics-to-76ers deal that includes Philadelphia receiving Brown in exchange for Paul George and draft capital. The full contours of the agreement were not laid out in Brown’s statement, but the magnitude of the move is reflected in the way multiple local and national reports characterized it as a major roster shakeup for both sides ahead of the next NBA season.

The timing also matters because Brown arrives in Philadelphia as the Celtics are no longer able to rely on their long-time wing leader. Brown has been more than a complementary piece in Boston for much of his prime, including a run in which he served as the No. 1 option for much of a season while Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles injury suffered during the 2025 playoffs, according to Boston 25 News. The same report cited Brown’s career statistical profile, including averages of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals during the stretch identified as his career highs.

For the 76ers, Brown’s presence reshapes the roster’s perimeter and creation picture around the team’s core. Philadelphia has long leaned on Tyrese Maxey for scoring and Joel Embiid for paint dominance, and bringing in a high-level two-way wing changes how the offense can be structured, especially against elite defenses in the playoffs. The message Brown sent, stressing respect and effort, will also set a tone for how he wants to be received in a city that measures players heavily by playoff performance.

What to watch next is how quickly the 76ers integrate Brown into their regular-season offensive system and defensive matchups, and whether Philadelphia’s rotation can stay cohesive while leaning on more than one primary scoring threat at wing. For Boston, the key question is how the team replaces Brown’s combination of shot-making, secondary playmaking, and defensive versatility. In the near term, the fan reaction will be shaped not by words but by whether Brown can convert his Boston-era resume into immediate trust from a Philadelphia audience that is eager for tangible postseason progress.

Brown’s statement ends the Celtics chapter in clear terms: he is not trying to rewrite the past, but he is indicating a forward-looking mindset. The rivalry will intensify naturally on the court, and the way Brown performs in that first stretch of games against former teams and under Philadelphia’s microscope may define how this trade is remembered. If the 76ers can turn the fit into consistent execution, the offseason move could become one of the league’s most consequential roster decisions.