RealGM Basketball Wiretap

03 July 2026

• Jayson Tatum Breaks Silence On Jaylen Brown Trade

  Jayson Tatum publicly acknowledged Jaylen Brown's departure Friday, sharing an Instagram tribute two days after the Boston Celtics dealt his longtime running mate to the Philadelphia 76ers.

  The trade sent Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The deal ended a nine-year on-court pairing between Tatum and Brown.

  Tatum posted a photo of the two players together, reflecting on their shared history in Boston.

  "9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player," wrote Tatum. "From first round exits to winning a champ together and respect for you as a player and as a person. Looking forward to see how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special!"

  Brown had already addressed the trade publicly Thursday night, speaking on a livestream without referencing Tatum by name.

  "The message was received," said Brown, on his stream. "I wasn't thrilled with the amount of respect that was shown throughout this process. I think there was a bit of lack of respect. I think it was fine at one point, then out of nowhere, things just went left. I think Brad (Stevens) is getting a lot of the criticism. I wasn't thrilled with the way he facilitated some of the conversations.

  "I definitely think there's more to it. I just wish that the more to it could've been explained to me. Because I think if the more to it was explained that I would've understood. I thought I earned respect to get that explanation. But hey, obviously, I was wrong. That's life. You move on."

  Celtics president Brad Stevens and owner Bill Chisholm are set to discuss the trade publicly on Monday.

• Rich Paul Details Ten Potential LeBron James Teams In Free Agency

  Rich Paul outlined ten possible landing spots for LeBron James on Friday, three days after James informed the Los Angeles Lakers he intends to sign elsewhere.

  Paul broke down the options during an episode of his "Game Over" podcast alongside Max Kellerman, using a whiteboard to weigh advantages and drawbacks for each franchise. Paul told ESPN he has now spoken with 27 teams regarding James.

  The Klutch Sports founder named the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs as possibilities.

  "Every day things change," said Paul, to ESPN. "This is the first time that LeBron James is making a decision pressure-free. He's won already. He's made good on his promise, he won in L.A. This is strictly for his happiness. What does happiness entail? It's a number of things. It's a bucket of happiness. It's basketball, it's living, it's camaraderie, it's competition. It's everything."

  Paul highlighted Philadelphia's roster, built around Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid.

  "Philadelphia, everything changed," said Paul. "How could you not have his attention when you have Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid?

  "He loves Maxey, so we don't even have to talk about that. I think V.J., he helps V.J. understand really how to play the game.

  "Obviously, Jaylen Brown. Embiid is health and habits. The health and habits of Embiid are there. He enhances everything there. He unlocks everything there."

  On the Cavaliers, Paul cited Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen alongside the front office.

  "Mitchell, Harden, Mobley, Allen. Dan and Grant, which is the Gilberts. Plus Koby, he was there when LeBron won there," said Paul. "Big, big, big X factor, let me talk to you about Brandon Weems.

  "Brandon Weems is basically LeBron's brother. Now, he worked his own way up, nobody gave him anything. He's earned to be in the front office of the Cavs. But that is a big feather in the cap for Cleveland, because of Brandon Weems."

  Paul categorized the Knicks as unlikely, calling a reunion too risky given New York's championship last month.

  "It's difficult, because the last thing you want to do is mess up something like that," said Paul. "The Knicks have a good thing going. If the Knicks hadn't had won, this wouldn't even be a question. There would be no board. He'd be going to the Knicks."

  Paul added the Warriors remain in play after Draymond Green restructured his contract.

  "You see Steph and Dray," said Paul. "Don't forget about Steph and Dray."

  Sources tell ESPN that the Spurs are not considered a potential team for James to join this offseason.

• Caleb Love, Sixers Agree To Two-Way Contract

  Caleb Love and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a two-way deal.

  Love went undrafted out of Arizona in 2025 and spent the 2025-26 season with the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-way deal.

  Love averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20.7 minutes. Love had a True Shooting Percentage of .497.

• Jaylen Brown's Contract Size Suppressed Trade Market

  Jaylen Brown's modest trade return has sparked debate this week after the Boston Celtics landed just Paul George, two unprotected first round picks and two second round picks from the Philadelphia 76ers.

  ESPN's Tim MacMahon said Brown's salary directly influenced his trade value on Friday's episode of The Hoop Collective.

  "I had a primary decision maker with another team in the league say if you make $60 million, this is what you're worth in a trade," said MacMahon. "If he made $40 million, every single team in the league would have been lining up for Jaylen, even with all the other issues."

  Boston initially offered Brown to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and then had to shift to broader trade talks when the Miami Heat had their package accepted. The Celtics were hoping for strong interest following his career-best season.

  "They went out swinging for sky high value," said MacMahon. "They went out trying to trade Jaylen Brown at the value of the sixth most valuable player in the league, which is what he was in MVP voting. When the league does not perceive him to be, the league in terms of the people who are making decisions on trade, that the league does not perceive him to be the sixth most valuable player in the league. Because in part of his contract, and this is such a hot button issue, but the advanced analytics are not favorable to Jaylen Brown.

  "It's our job to explain things, whether we're co-signing or not co-signing or whatever. When there's something like this that confuses the hell out of the media, the fans, all of our listeners. We saw this trade and let's be honest, the initial reaction was 'What the bleep?'

  "This other GM says this is a classic case of the credit goes to the guy who scores but they're not driving team success. There's guys like this all over the league. The difference is he's not a $40 million and a Brandon Ingram. He's at $60 million.

  "It gets into the CBA and the cap rules and the apron. It's really hard to tie up that much money in your salary cap for one player that's truly generational and he's not even close to that.

  "He also said the league is getting smarter now. And here's the thing: the dumb teams are the cheap teams. So the Celtics weren't even in a position to try to capitalize on a quote-unquote dumb team because they're not bringing in a guy with $180 million over the next three years left on his deal and who wants an extension off those numbers."

  Brown had been eligible for a two-year, $141.8 million extension with Boston in July.

  ESPN's Vincent Goodwill tied the trade to the league's broader shift away from free agency.

  "That's the key thing there," said Goodwill. "The reason you see more trades and not free agency nowadays is because the trade market is free agency. And if you have not made a decision that your franchise player is worth that extension, then you have to trade him. If your franchise players has said 'I'm not taking this extension', then you have to trade him.

  "This was coming sooner this summer rather than later even if the Giannis stuff did not happen. This was looming. And the problem was the order of operations of the way things happened presented really bad optics."

  Goodwill said Brown's strong season widened the gap between public perception and how front offices actually valued him.

  "There is a schism between the year he had and the player that he is," said Goodwill. "He had a top-6 year as far as keeping the Celtics afloat relative to expectations, all the numbers, career highs. But even the GMs who like him tell me, he's a top-25 player, not a top-6 player. The Celtics were trying to get top-6 return for a top-25 player, which is what you're supposed to do. But it just dragged on long and left a bad taste in people's mouths."

  Other traded players facing extension decisions this offseason included Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.

• Knicks Have 'Shown Some Interest' In Signing LeBron James

  The New York Knicks have "shown some interest" in signing LeBron James, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

  During a recent podcast appearance, Rich Paul said James would have signed with the Knicks this offseason had they not just won the NBA championship.

  "If the Knicks wouldn't have won, there'd be no board," Paul said. "He'd be going to the Knicks."

  The Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers have also registered their interest in James.

  It is widely expected around the league that James will likely take his time to come to a decision on where he plays next season.

  The Golden State Warriors reportedly have planned additional moves to clear cap space in case James shows interest in signing with the team.

  The Cleveland Cavs and Miami Heat are also mentioned as co-favorites with the Warriors to land James.

• Celtics Not Motivated By Money Or Follow-Up Trade In Dealing Jaylen Brown

  The Boston Celtics' blockbuster trade sending Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers was not a cost-cutting move and was not made with a follow-up deal in mind, according to a league source.

  Boston sent the 2024 NBA Finals MVP to Philadelphia on Wednesday in exchange for Paul George, two future first-round picks and two second-round picks.

  George has two years remaining on his four-year, $211 million contract, one fewer than Brown had remaining. The swap will save the Celtics roughly $2.9 million this season.

  Despite that savings, a league source stressed the trade was not a financial decision. The source said there was no directive from ownership to move Brown.

  The same source added that Wednesday's deal was not executed with an imminent secondary trade already planned. Boston's front office reportedly "agonized" over the decision for days before finalizing it.

• Jaylen Brown Never Requested Trade; Celtics Didn't Expect Offers To Improve If They Waited

  Jaylen Brown never requested a trade from the Boston Celtics and his departure this offseason appears to have been driven by the front office. The Celtics moved forward with their trade of Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and two first round picks.

  "I'm told Jaylen Brown has been disappointed and disrespected with the way the Celtics have handled this situation, particularly because he never requested a trade," said Shams Charania.

  Brown is ready to move on to a new start with the Sixers.

  "I'm told he's already spoken to the team's cornerstone guard, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgcombe. They have had great early conversations during the first 24 hours after this trade."

  Charania went on to explain how the Celtics arrived at this place and why they didn't try to wait out the current offers for them to improve in the future.

  "Once the Celtics missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo-for the fourth straight year Jaylen Brown was dangled in trade conversations," said Charania. "My understanding was Jaylen Brown felt disrespected and the only way to recoup the relationship at that point was to give Jaylen Brown that two-year, $145 million extension in July.

  "But all indications now are that the Celtics were not going to offer that. It then became about seeing what you could get on the trade market. The Celtics set a very high bar. They asked for four or five first round picks. But that price just was not met in the marketplace. As time went on as they aggressively shopped him among eight to 10 different teams, the valuation plummeted across the NBA.

  "When I talked to teams today, they have wondered why didn't the Celtics prolong this later into July? Later into the offseason. What made them pull the trigger now?

  "My understanding in Boston is they felt this was the best it was going to get for Jaylen Brown."

  The Celtics offered Brown in trade talks for Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 and again last offseason when they ended up trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

  Charania also reported that rival teams inquired with the Celtics on the potential of a trade for Jayson Tatum, but those calls were swiftly rebuffed.

• Anfernee Simons, Sixers Agree To Two-Year, $12.3M Deal

  Anfernee Simons and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million contract. Simons will hold a player option for Year 2 of the contract.

  Simons received interest from the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and others.

  The 76ers' signing of Simons follows their trade with the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown.

• Celtics Rejected Every Trade Call On Jayson Tatum Amid Decision To Move Jaylen Brown

  The Boston Celtics never seriously considered trading Jayson Tatum despite recent inquiries from rival teams, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Boston instead determined weeks ago that it needed to move on from Jaylen Brown, ultimately sending him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and two future first round picks.

  "Whether it was personal situations between the two players or whether it was just the on-court basketball fit, the Celtics had just made the determination that, moving forward, they can no longer win a championship, clearly, with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum," said Charania on Thursday's episode of Get Up.

  "The Celtics received calls on Jayson Tatum over the last couple of weeks. They shut those down completely, from my understanding. But when it came to Jaylen Brown, they were open to listening, and they have been for quite some time now."

  The Celtics previously offered Brown in a trade package to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022 offseason.

  "Remember in 2022, they offered Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant," added Charania. "This summer, they offered Jaylen Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo. They missed out on both. And so, it became about what they can get for him once the toothpaste was out of the proverbial tube. But why now?

  "There are three years left on Jaylen Brown's contract. They go out seeking four or five first-round picks in deals. It was very clear that Jaylen Brown felt a level of disrespect being thrown out there in trade talks. And well, listen, the only way to make him feel better is by showing him the money in late July. Two years, $145 million is what he was eligible for on an extension with the Celtics. All indications after this trade are that, clearly, that offer was never coming. That was never going to happen.

  "And so, the Celtics aggressively shopped Jaylen Brown over the last few days, and the bar kept going down every single day. It was getting lower and lower, and I had GMs telling me, 'Eventually, Brad Stevens and the Celtics will have to trade him for 40 cents on the dollar.' Now, why was his value so low? You can figure it out depending on who you ask. But to trade him at 29 years old to a rival? It is stunning for everyone in the NBA."

  Rival executives believe the Celtics traded Brown under duress.

• Rival Executives Believe Celtics Made Jaylen Brown Trade 'Under Duress'

  The Boston Celtics' trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and two future first round picks was one of the more stunning transactions for league insiders in recent memory despite the well-documented presence of Brown in trade rumors for several weeks.

  The Celtics' front office from the Danny Ainge tenure to now with Brad Stevens and Mike Zarren have historically operated in a very measured way.

  While Boston received two first round picks back for Brown, the Sixers probably would have had to attach one future first round pick merely to trade away George due to the size of his contract relative to his productivity. The Celtics were previously seeking as many as four or five future first round picks for Brown after they had offered him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

  According to executives on rival teams that spoke with ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the conclusion currently being reached around the NBA is that the Celtics clearly felt they had to expedite a Brown trade even if the return is less than his widely perceived value.

  "Other teams in the league felt like this looked like a trade that was made under duress," said Windhorst on Sports Center in the hours after the trade. "That you wouldn't make this trade if everything was equal. And I look forward to hearing an explanation from the Celtics' side because I cannot explain it on its face.

  "Even if they wanted to move on from Jaylen Brown, and even if they didn't like the offers that they had today, it doesn't make sense why this trade would have to happen now. Even if you believe that Jaylen Brown had played his last game for you, there's just no reason to feel any pressure to make this move on July 1st. I promise you that there would have been other opportunities.

  "And not only that, to make it to a team that is in your conference, in your division. A team that just vanquished you in the playoffs? The more you look at it, the more mystifying it gets.

  "The Celtics are a team that is very studied, that doesn't make any move without thinking it through. I'm sure that they have their reasons for the exact way they went about this, but they're going to be reasons that are going to be very difficult to articulate and understand."