Jaylen Brown reportedly sought greater recognition and a more prominent role within the Boston Celtics organization before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in July.
According to The Athletic, Brown informed Boston’s front office following the 2025-26 playoffs that he wanted to be treated more like a franchise player, both on and off the court.
Brown had made sacrifices throughout his time with the Celtics, but after averaging 28.7 points and earning second-team All-NBA honors, he believed he deserved treatment comparable to other NBA stars, including Jayson Tatum.
The forward finished sixth in MVP voting after leading Boston to 56 wins while Tatum missed most of the season recovering from a torn Achilles.
However, the Celtics struggled against top opponents and eventually lost a 3-1 series lead to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, a friend of Brown’s, suggested that the forward’s frustrations were “deeply within the (Celtics) organization.”
Boston also faced salary cap concerns, with Brown and Tatum’s contracts expected to account for approximately 70% of the cap.
Eight days after Celtics president Brad Stevens publicly praised Brown, Boston agreed to trade him to Philadelphia.
Brown and Tatum reportedly have not spoken since the trade.
