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Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If you are a Boston Celtics fan who believes Brad Stevens didn’t like Jaylen Brown anymore and was completely behind his surprising trade to the Philadelphia 76ers last month, the team’s owner just gave you more fuel to back up that theory.
This was a very active offseason on the NBA’s trade market. While the Milwaukee Bucks sending team icon Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat might have been the biggest trade of the summer, the Celtics sending Brown to a division rival after an MVP-caliber season is a very close second.
Making the stunning trade that only fetched two first-round picks worse was that Celtics management broke up an elite duo to send the five-time All-Star to the same team that eliminated them in this year’s playoffs. Ever since the trade went down, there has been a lot of speculation on why the deal had to happen at all.
Was there truth to rumors that teammates like Jayson Tatum had soured on playing with Brown? Did coach Joe Mazzulla feel he wasn’t as good a fit for his style of play with Tatum on the floor? Did management really feel Payton Pritchard could be just as good for much cheaper? Was there a realization that two players with supermax deals was a bad idea and Brown was the odd man out? Or did Stevens and the front office grow tired of dealing with him, as was also rumored?
Boston Celtics owner was against Jaylen Brown trade initially
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May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) on the court before game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Well, during a conversation on 93.7 FM in Boston, owner Bill Chisholm made comments that sure make it seem like Stevens was the driving force behind the curious move, because he really didn’t want to do it.
“I truly believe we have the best front office in the NBA, and I think it’s a source of advantage for us every day,” Chisholm said. “So I definitely have a level of trust in Brad and his team. But man, as a fan, that was tough. I really needed to be convinced to take the fan passion out of it, because I’m a super fan.
“You have to be a sociopath if you don’t worry a little bit about what other fans are going to think… We’ve got the best brains in basketball, and this was something they had conviction around.”
Stevens was the driving force behind Jaylen Brown trade
It’s not often that an owner — who always had the final say– did not want to make a major trade but still did. His comments suggest he didn’t think it made any sense, but his front office, spearheaded by Stevens, worked hard to convince him that it was the right move.
It is understandable why Chisholm trusts the team president. The Celtics have done great things since Stevens left the bench to oversee basketball operations. Including winning an NBA title two years ago. If Mazzulla pushed for the move, the owner would say no. But when Stevens urged it, he had to listen. This sure makes it seem that the top executive was the driving force behind the Jaylen Brown trade.