On Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics traded away five-time All-Star and homegrown superstar Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for a return of Paul George and four future draft picks.

On Thursday afternoon, Brown broke his silence, releasing a statement on the situation.

"First and foremost, thank you to the Most High, even in the midst of adversity, I'm here with gratitude. I'm still processing how this all went down. I'm excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect in this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.

The relationships I built here, the battles we fought together, the championship we brought to the city, and the connection I shared with the fans, I'll carry on with me. Saying goodbye isn't easy when you've invested your heart into something. I'm big on respect and actions speak louder than words. To the people of Boston, thank you. To the community I built here, I love you, and to the shiftaz we are locked in for life..."

As Brown said, he's still processing everything, and so are we. There's no clear reason yet why the Celtics traded Brown, who they had cultivated into one of the best players in the league.

Did Brown become frustrated at being included in prior trade rumors this summer? Was the situation untenable? Was this a financially motivated decision? Were the Celtics looking at a way to acquire more draft capital for the sake of making another big move? Was the team so desperate to change its play style that it felt like moving on was the best way to do that? Did Brown fall out of favor with the organization? 

None of that matters at this moment. All that matters is that the team is moving forward without a player its had for a decade. Brown is a five-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection. He's not easy to replace, though the analytics seem to think he is.

He finished sixth in the MVP voting this past season after averaging 28.7 ppg. Now, the team truly belongs to Jayson Tatum, who will be back in the mix after an injury shortened 2025-26.

A week after getting drafted by the Celtics last week, center Chris Cenac Jr. and forward Dillon Mitchell met the media in their new home for the first time on Tuesday. 

Both players spoke about what it meant to be drafted by the organization, how they can fit in, what they'll bring to the table and much more.

Remember to join our CELTICS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Celtics fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!