Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 7

Cedric Maxwell Warns Jayson Tatum of Backlash After Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown for Paul George

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 7

Cedric Maxwell Warns Jayson Tatum of Backlash After Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown for Paul George

Q: After trading his 'partner in crime,' can Jayson Tatum silence critics and lead the Celtics back to the Finals alone?

Yes—but only if “alone” is understood loosely. Tatum can quiet the criticism by winning, but getting Boston back to the Finals after trading Jaylen Brown looks significantly harder, not easier. The facts cut both ways. Tatum is now the unquestioned face of the Celtics, and Brad Stevens has publicly said he did not consult him on the Brown deal, undercutting the idea that Tatum forced out his longtime co-star. Tatum also moved quickly to shut down bad-blood rumors with a public farewell to Brown. That helps him politically, but it will not matter much if Boston slips competitively. On the court, this is a major downgrade in top-end talent. Brown was coming off a career year—28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists—and had already proven he could carry Boston for stretches. In return, the Celtics got 36-year-old Paul George, whose talent is real but whose age, health record and contract make him a far less reliable second star. Even rival executives reportedly viewed the return as poor value. Boston’s logic is financial and structural. Stevens is chasing flexibility under the harsher CBA, trying to reset tax penalties and build toward a bigger move in 2027. That may be sound management, but it does not guarantee a better 2026-27 team. So Tatum can silence critics if he leads this reworked roster deep into May and June. But the evidence suggests the Celtics are now built to stay competitive while preserving options, not clearly positioned to return to the Finals immediately.

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 7

Cedric Maxwell said Jayson Tatum will face fan and media scrutiny after Boston sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, with critics likely to question whether he did enough to keep his longtime co-star.
Brown's exit shocked the NBA because the Celtics had long resisted splitting the pair and only did so after their 2024 title, despite Brown coming off a career year in points, assists and rebounds.
Maxwell also urged Tatum and Boston's roster to reach out to Brown directly, saying the lack of closure from teammates after his own 1985 trade to the Clippers "breaks my heart" even now.
July 3 social-media rumors that Tatum and Brown ignored each other in Cannes fueled talk of bad blood, but Tatum later posted an emotional farewell message that signaled respect despite the split.

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Yahoo Sports9h ago

Cedric Maxwell Warns Jayson Tatum of Backlash After Jaylen Brown Trade

Basketball Network9h ago

Cedric Maxwell warns Jayson Tatum about backlash after Jaylen Brown trade - Basketball Network

Is Jaylen Brown's trade the first casualty of the NBA's new CBA, signaling the end of long-term superstar duos?

After trading his 'partner in crime,' can Jayson Tatum silence critics and lead the Celtics back to the Finals alone?

Did analytics and financial fears just force the Celtics to trade away a proven championship cornerstone in his prime?

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2 total

Yahoo Sports9h ago

Cedric Maxwell Warns Jayson Tatum of Backlash After Jaylen Brown Trade

Basketball Network9h ago

Cedric Maxwell warns Jayson Tatum about backlash after Jaylen Brown trade - Basketball Network

Cedric Maxwell Warns Jayson Tatum of Backlash After Celtics Trade Jaylen Brown for Paul George

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