’Close to Not Existent’ — ESPN’s Shams Charania Reveals the Truth Behind Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum’s Relationship

It has been several days since the Boston Celtics agreed to trade five-time All-Star wing Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for aging star forward Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, but everyone is still asking why in the world they made that deal.

Several theories have been floated. Some, such as former Celtics star Antoine Walker, have surmised that the franchise’s new ownership jettisoned Brown to cut costs. Others feel one reason Boston moved on from Brown is because of the star’s alleged hubris, especially when it comes to his intellect.

According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, there was something else about Brown that wasn’t ideal.

Jaylen Brown’s Relationship With Jayson Tatum Was ‘Close to Not Existent’

For nearly a decade, Brown and Jayson Tatum formed the Celtics’ core. The two stars carried the franchise to five Eastern Conference finals appearances, two NBA Finals appearances, and a championship in 2024.

But Charania says that the duo, at least off the court, wasn’t connected.

“On the court, they were great. But over the last year or so, that personal relationship, it was as close to not existent as you could have,” Charania reported Tuesday.

A team’s two stars don’t necessarily need to be friends to achieve on-court success. Decades ago, Celtics Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Kevin McHale had very different personalities that often clashed, but the two meshed very well when it mattered, and that was good enough for three NBA titles in six years during the 1980s.

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Perhaps an argument could be made that the on-court pairing of Brown and Tatum had grown a bit stale. Over the last two postseasons, Boston suffered a second-round exit in 2025 and a first-round upset in 2026. Granted, there were other factors, including what some view as a stubborn offensive philosophy in which the Celtics continued to hoist a high volume of 3-pointers even when they struggled from beyond the arc.

Now Brown will be joining two other bona fide stars in guard Tyrese Maxey and center Joel Embiid. The 76ers were the team that knocked Boston out of the first round of the playoffs this spring, and if they stay healthy, they should have at least a puncher’s chance of winning the East this coming season.