A representative for Philadelphia 76ers forward Jaylen Brown called a report that Brown demanded a trade or presented his former team, the Boston Celtics, with a list of demands “10000% a lie.”
The Celtics traded Brown to Philadelphia this offseason in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031) and two second-round selections (2028, 2030).
Scalabrine Walks Back Comments
On Monday, former NBA player and NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine said Brown requested a trade from Boston, had a list of demands and was “rooting to be traded to Milwaukee.” Ahead of the Celtics’ home game against the Chicago Bulls that night, Scalabrine backed off those remarks. He said Brown did not “technically demand to be traded,” but he reiterated that Brown came to Boston with a list of demands.
“I don’t know what the ultimatum was or the demands or whatever it was,” Scalabrine said. “So technically, he did not demand to be traded. It was, ‘Do these things right here or else.’ And one of them might have been, ‘Give me the $140 million extension.’
“I haven’t gotten to the bottom of all that. I didn’t even know this was going to be a thing. It’s one of those things that lived in my mind for months. I finally used it because we were talking about the weirdest stuff, and now it’s out there.”
The representative said Brown never requested a trade to the Milwaukee Bucks. A deal centered on Giannis Antetokounmpo fell through during the offseason, and Boston then told Brown he would be traded anyway. His only request was to have input on his destination. The representative added that the only other request Brown made while in Boston was that he and Jayson Tatum be treated equally.
Brown and Tatum Trade Jabs
The relationship between Brown and Tatum has drawn attention in recent days. It started when Brown posted a blue hat emoji, slang for lying, on Instagram in response to a video in which Tatum said he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world” by Brown’s trade.
“There’s no beef. It’s not about that. It should be more praise,” Tatum said a day later. “I understand drama gets clicks and views, but I’m not really into that. I’m not blaming everybody for how they feel. Everybody is entitled to their own feelings, and we all go through different things in our lives.”
Two days later, Brown’s tone shifted. He insisted there was “no beef” between them but added that there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.” He also repeated that Tatum has a “hell of a PR team” and said, “He should stay ready at all times.”
Brown declined to explain why he posted the cap emoji, saying he and Tatum are focused on what lies ahead. Tatum said he would welcome a conversation to resolve the issue. When asked whether he would be open to that talk, Brown appeared disinterested.
“We both got so much stuff in front of us,” Brown said. “So at the end of the day … he got to do what he’s got to do for his team. I got to do what I do for my team.
“Jayson’s a great guy. Like I said, great family, hell of a basketball player, hell of a PR team. There’s no beef, but it’ll be a little lamb chop.”
A Successful Partnership Ends
Brown and Tatum played together in Boston for nine seasons. Both were No. 3 overall draft picks, Brown in 2016 and Tatum a year later. Together, they were one of the most successful pairings of their era, guiding the Celtics to five Eastern Conference finals appearances, two NBA Finals trips and a championship over the Dallas Mavericks in 2024.