PHILADELPHIA — 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 the Sixers this past offseason for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031) and two second-round selections (2028, 2030).
On Monday, former NBA player and current 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.”
Brown’s representative denied that Brown ever requested a trade to the Bucks. After a deal centered around forward Giannis Antetokounmpo fell through in the offseason, Boston informed Brown he would be traded anyway. According to the representative, Brown’s only request was to have input on his destination.
Scalabrine Walks Back Comments
Scalabrine backed off his remarks before the Celtics hosted the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. 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 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 Brown-Tatum relationship drew headlines during the past week. Brown started the exchange by posting a blue hat emoji, slang for “cap” or lying, on Instagram. He responded to Tatum’s YouTube 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 struck a different tone. 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 warned, “He should stay ready at all times.”
Brown declined to explain why he posted the cap emoji and said 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 uninterested.
“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 Shared History in Boston
Brown and Tatum spent nine seasons together in Boston. The Celtics selected both with the No. 3 pick, Brown in 2016 and Tatum a year later. Together, they formed one of the most successful pairings of their era, guiding Boston to five Eastern Conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals trips, including a championship win over the Dallas Mavericks in 2024.