Jaylen Brown denied requesting a trade from the Boston Celtics, pushing back against claims surrounding his departure as the Philadelphia 76ers star addressed the controversy after Wednesday’s 114-109 win over the Indiana Pacers.
“I never demanded a trade. Never made a list of ultimatums, none of the sort. None of that is true,” Brown said in a postgame interview. He added that he wanted to focus on his new opportunity in Philadelphia rather than continue discussing the dispute.
The comments followed statements by former Celtics player and broadcaster Brian Scalabrine, who said Brown had presented Boston with demands and wanted to be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown’s representative denied those claims, calling them “10000% a lie.”
Brown also addressed Scalabrine directly, saying he had never had a problem with him and that he understood the broadcaster’s position. However, he said he had no interest in allowing what he described as false allegations to follow him into the next chapter of his career.
Scalabrine subsequently clarified that Brown had not technically demanded a trade, while maintaining that the forward had presented demands to the Celtics. He acknowledged that he did not know the specifics of those alleged demands.
The dispute intensified after Scalabrine made another pointed remark about Brown during Boston’s October 27 broadcast against Brooklyn. While praising Jayson Tatum for scoring 34 points and recording eight assists without a turnover, Scalabrine referenced Brown’s league-leading 259 turnovers during the 2025-26 regular season.
Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia on July 6, receiving Paul George, first-round picks in 2028 and 2031, and second-round selections in 2028 and 2030. Brown’s representative said his only request after Boston informed him he would be traded was to have input on his destination.
Brown has averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists through five games with Philadelphia. He recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana as the 76ers improved to 4-1 with their second consecutive road win.
Philadelphia rallied from a 13-point deficit to win, outscoring Indiana 39-21 in the fourth quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the final 90 seconds, while Joel Embiid added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
