Бостон Сэлтикс Жэйлен Брауныг Филадельфиа Севенти Сиксерт илгээж, оронд нь Пол Жорж болон драфтын эрхүүдийг авахаар боллоо.
Бостон Сэлтикс багийн удирдлагууд Жэйлен Брауныг солилцоонд оруулсан нь олон хүний гайхшралыг төрүүлээд байна. Тэд 29 настай, All-NBA тоглогчийг 36 настай Пол Жорж, 2028 болон 2031 оны драфтын нэгдүгээр тойргийн эрх, хоёрдугаар тойргийн хоёр эрхээр сольсон нь хангалттай үнэлгээ биш гэж үзэх мэргэжилтнүүд олон байна. Энэхүү шийдвэр нь багийн дотоод уур амьсгал болон тоглогчийн сэтгэл зүйд сөргөөр нөлөөлөх эрсдэлтэй юм.
Филадельфиа Севенти Сиксер Жэйлен Брауныг эгнээндээ нэгтгэснээр Жоел Эмбийд, Тайриз Макси нартай хамт хүчирхэг бүрэлдэхүүнийг бүрдүүлж байна. Тэдний хувьд энэ нь Аллен Айверсоны үеэс хойшхи хамгийн өндөр боломж бөгөөд бүсийн аварга болохын төлөөх өрсөлдөөнд шууд оролцох юм. Түүнчлэн, тус баг Леброн Жэймсийг элсүүлэх сонирхолтой байгаагаа илэрхийлжээ.
Лос-Анжелес Лэйкерс чөлөөт зах зээл дээр идэвхтэй ажиллаж, Юта Жаззаас Уолкер Кесслерийг авч, гарааны бүрэлдэхүүнээ зузаатгалаа. Мөн Квентин Граймс, Коллин Секстон, Сандро Мамукелашвили нартай гэрээ байгуулснаар багийн сэлгээ болон хамгаалалтын бүсээ сайжруулж байна. Энэхүү өөрчлөлт нь өнгөрсөн улиралд дутагдалтай байсан дотоод хамгаалалт болон багийн гүн рүү чиглэсэн чухал алхам боллоо.
Детройт Пистонс багийн хувьд энэ зуны солилцоо тийм ч амжилттай байсангүй. Тэд Изайя Стюарт, Тобиас Харрис нарыг явуулж, Жон Коллинс, Изайя Жо нарыг авсан нь Кэйд Каннингемд туслах найдвартай тоглогчдыг бүрдүүлж чадсангүй. Баг өмнөх улирлын алдаагаа засахын оронд илүү суларсан гэж дүгнэхэд хүргэж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
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It doesn’t feel like the NBA has any more superstar trades to make. Of course, that’s exactly what the NBA wants you to think. That’s how it gets you! The second you believe the NBA can’t trade any more stars, it’ll send players to places you never imagined. This is the best league.
Brown out
Did the Celtics really need to do this?
The Jaylen Brown saga felt like unnecessary offseason drama the Boston Celtics could endure and then make better with a big-time contract extension.
After the Celtics explored the Giannis Antetokounmpo market by dangling Brown in front of Milwaukee, the noise kept getting louder and louder that they might need to trade him. Sometimes, that felt super dramatic. Overly dramatic even. Yes, Brown seemed to feel disrespected, but he was also under contract for the next three years for around $180 million and was eligible for another $142 million over two years. You could have made it very worth his while to get him to drop any ill feelings toward those trade rumors and attempts.
That is … if you wanted to offer him the money. Maybe you wanted to let him go stew elsewhere in the league. That’s essentially what the Celtics did. They traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for 36-year-old Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick that could end up as a swap, a 2031 first and two second-round picks.
This … is the best the Celtics could do? They received less than the Clippers did for a 35-year-old Kawhi Leonard. It’s less than the Jazz received for Walker Kessler. So why is it that a 29-year-old, All-NBA guard couldn’t grab more in a trade?
Memorable moments from Jaylen Brown’s 10 seasons in Boston
Is it because of how vocal he was on social media? Is it because teams don’t believe in him? What did either team accomplish with this deal? Let’s talk to ourselves.
Did the Celtics do the right thing here? No, they did not. This feels like an overreaction, without much help coming back. George has an injury history, and he was pretty rough last season. That doesn’t even count his 25-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. The crux of this deal is based on the Sixers being bad enough in 2028 or 2031 that the picks become super valuable. This doesn’t feel like proper value for someone who was All-NBA second team and sixth in MVP voting.
What else could the Celtics have done? Nothing. Pay him his extension. Show him that this kind of commitment was a greater sign than them hoping they could get Giannis. It may sound naive, and maybe it is on some level, but the Celtics could have easily massaged this over with money and commitment. Instead, they bailed on the Brown relationship, essentially confirming all his paranoia.
Brown deserved a better ending in Boston, Steve Buckley writes.
Are the Sixers contenders? They are as close as they’ve been since Allen Iverson was roaming Philadelphia courts. The Sixers weathering the ebbs and flows of Joel Embiid’s availability is key. They can set themselves up for a higher playoff seeding by having Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe most nights. What’s incredible about this trade is that the Celtics just lost to the Sixers when they were up 3-1 in a first-round series. Now they’re sending their second-best player to Philly for the Sixers’ third-best player and some draft capital.
The Knicks are the kings of the East and the NBA. Can the Sixers finally put together enough to challenge? Does Brown-for-George make up for getting swept by the Knicks during the second round? The Sixers hope this perimeter attack is undeniable and that Embiid can add to it when healthy in the playoffs.
Are there any grades for this trade? Funny enough, there are!
The last 24
🦖 Worthy gamble. Trading for Kawhi Leonard is certainly a risk for Toronto. But the delicious theater makes it well worth it, Eric Koreen writes.
🌡 Lower the temperature. The WNBA will truly arrive when hard fouls are just hard fouls and not some sort of cultural reckoning, Brian Hamilton writes.
🎬 Film breakdown. Here’s a fun story from CJ Moore about the pickup games — featuring Shaq, Penny and other big names — that made the 1994 movie “Blue Chips” feel so authentic.
🔔 Phil-LeDelphia? Now that the Sixers have Brown, they want more firepower. They’re going after LeBron James.
🙅 No number. Tim Hardaway Jr. is playing where his dad played in Miami. However, he can’t wear pop’s No. 10.
Stream the NBA on Fubo (try it for free!)and catch out-of-market games onLeague Pass.
L.A. makeover
Lakers get serious about their roster
In a stunning turn of events yesterday, the Lakers appeared to break through the restricted free-agency gauntlet. Normally, teams are too worried about tying up their own cap space over a 48-hour period to actually try to sign a restricted free agent. Players and agents can put out information about trying to work out sign-and-trades for restricted free agents, but none of it means anything if their incumbent team isn’t willing to make the deal.
That’s why the Lakers executing a sign-and-trade with the Jazz to acquire Walker Kessler was so shocking. Kessler agreed to a four-year deal for $130 million, and then the Jazz agreed to send him to the Lakers. Los Angeles sent back a 2031 first- round pick, a 2033 first-rounder and pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. It all but depleted the Lakers’ draft treasure chest, leaving them with just a 2033 second-round pick and a 2032 pick swap.
Is that worth it for Kessler? He’s an awesome rim protector, amazing rebounder and a good finisher around the basket. He might have a jumper. He might have some passing ability. But he is there to cover up what the backcourt of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves can’t do defensively.
I graded the deal and loved it for the Lakers. However, that’s not the only good thing they did yesterday, as they also agreed to the following moves:
- Signing Quentin Grimes away from Philly for $60 million over four years.
- Signing Collin Sexton away from Charlotte for $19 million over two years.
- Signing Sandro Mamukelashvili away from Toronto for $52 million over four years,
The Lakers lost Luke Kennard to the Suns and Marcus Smart to the Rockets. We know LeBron is out, even though we don’t know where. But this is a great transformation for the Lakers roster, something they couldn’t do last season when LeBron decided to stick around for his $52 million option.
L.A. isn’t in the class with the Thunder and Spurs at the top of the Western Conference. However, the Lakers have a legitimate claim for the top of the second tier and as a team that could make a deep run in the postseason. The Nuggets might be crumbling. The Timberwolves are taking wild swings. The Rockets have many internal issues to work out.
The Lakers are no longer relying on social-media-buzz players or guys who can’t compete but who pretend they can. Their signings brought proper depth, real interior presences and players who complement Dončić and Reaves the right way. GM Rob Pelinka has finally started putting good role players around his stars.
Motor City stalled
Pistons are going backward this offseason
The Pistons made some moves yesterday, as the NBA finally had an explosive free-agency day. By “finally,” I mean we wanted some fireworks and movement on Day 1, but the league waited until Day 2. We are a fickle bunch, but that’s OK when it comes to offseason transactions.
The Pistons have left me frustrated with their offseason so far, and I’m not even a Detroit fan. I’m just looking at a No. 1 seed in the East with lots of potential but some serious flaws to fix. Instead, the Pistons have exacerbated their issues.
They desperately need secondary initiators to help Cade Cunningham in the playoffs. We saw them almost lose to the Magic in the first round because of it. Then they did lose to the Cavaliers in the second round because of it. So what are they doing in this postseason?
Pistons on the way out:
- Isaiah Stewart traded to Memphis for second-round picks.
- Tobias Harris signed with San Antonio for two years, $31 million.
- Marcus Sasser reportedly traded to Dallas.
Pistons on the way in or staying:
- John Collins signed for three years and $51 million (only first year guaranteed).
- Traded second-round picks for Isaiah Joe.
- Re-signed Kevin Huerter for three years and $27 million.
Detroit did not get better. If anything, it got worse. And we still don’t know what will happen with restricted free agent Jalen Duren. Will the Pistons match whatever offer sheet he gets? Will Duren sign the qualifying offer and become a free agent next year? Are they going to work out a sign-and-trade with the Kings for Domantas Sabonis?
Regardless, the Pistons still haven’t added someone who can help Cunningham on offense.
As for the rest of the league? Here are the major agreements from yesterday (and check out all my Day 2 grades, analyses and head-scratchers here):
• Norman Powell will sign with the Bulls (two years, $45 million): That’s the kind of player the Pistons needed. Instead, Chicago will have him until at least the trade deadline.
Why the Bulls signed Norman Powell
Joel Lorenzi and Jeshua Kidd
• Mitchell Robinson will sign with the Celtics (three years, $47.4 million): The Celtics needed a big-time rebounder and interior presence. Robinson will give them that, as long as he’s healthy and not in foul trouble. Plus, it takes him away from the defending NBA champs.
• Harris will sign with the Spurs (two years, $31 million): They needed a proper four to put next to Victor Wembanyama, and Harris should provide that. If the Spurs get the version of him we saw for Detroit this postseason, it’s a home run.
• Smart will sign with the Rockets (two years, $13 million): This is the type of guard who can play with anybody in their backcourt. He’ll be a great addition to their roster
Make sure to follow all the news and updates in our free-agency live blog.
