Jayson Tatum did not try to make the Jaylen Brown trade sound normal.
Speaking Tuesday night, Tatum called the move "weird" and "tough" after spending nine years with Brown in Boston. The two reached the NBA Finals twice, won the 2024 championship, and became the face of the Celtics' modern era before Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
"You play on a team with a guy for 9 years," Tatum said. "I was fortunate enough to go to the finals with him twice, and win a championship, and push each other to be the players that we are today."
Tatum also pointed to the colder side of the league. "The NBA is an incredible business; it's an incredible job, but there are some downsides to the business," he said, describing the shock of walking into the facility and knowing a longtime teammate is suddenly on another team.
That part matters because this was not a quiet split. Brown went to Philadelphia, one of Boston's direct Eastern Conference rivals, in a deal that brought Paul George and four draft picks back to the Celtics.
Tatum still framed the partnership with respect. He said the ending was abrupt, but not empty, because Brown gave "great years" to the city and organization. Now Boston has to welcome new teammates while living with the cost of breaking up a title-winning duo.
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