Celtics were done with Jaylen Brown before shocking 76ers trade

Boston wanted no more.The Celtics “were done” with ex-superstar Jaylen Brown, leading to Wednesdays’ shocking trade that sent him to the 76ers for a much-scrutinized package centered around four picks and declining veteran Paul George, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.The desire to trade Brown got to the point that the Celtics moved the former first-round pick for what many consider to be an underwhelming package.“They wanted to move Jaylen Brown, ultimately they did not care what the return was because this was not dollar-for-dollar value,” Mannix said in a video posted Wednesday night.“It’s not 75 cents on the dollar.This is at best 50 cents on the dollar.”The possibility of the Celtics trading Brown had been floated for weeks, with Brown headlining a package offered to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo that Milwaukee ultimately passed on.Plenty had speculated whether the Celtics could keep Brown after offering him in said deal, and ultimately they decided to split up the Brown-Jayson Tatum duo that helped win them a title in 2024.What has stunned pundits and NBA fans worldwide is what Boston — led by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens — received for a player who finished sixth in MVP voting this past season.The Celtics landed two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a 36-year-old Paul George, according to ESPN.The first-round picks could prove to be duds depending on the 76ers’ success in the upcoming years, while George is not nearly the same caliber of player as Brown.He averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds last season while serving as 25-game suspension for violating the anti-drug policy, and has appeared in more than 60 games just once since the 2018-19 campaign.George also makes similar money to Brown, which barely helps Boston’s chances of landing another player to try to replace Brown in the aggregate.Some have speculated that Boston wanted to get out of a large contract quicker, leading the...