Celtics trade Brown for George and cap room; now the money has to buy wins
The Boston Celtics have traded Jaylen Brown for Paul George, draft picks and cap flexibility, a deal expected to lead the questions at media day Monday.
Jayson Tatum, more than a year past the Achilles tear that cost him most of last season, is expected to address the trade for the first time.
The money reads as efficiency, not retreat. In 2025-26, Tatum and Brown took 57% of the payroll for 15% of the roster's production, per WAGE.
The rest of the roster carried the load: the 9th-highest payroll bought the 4th-most wins, a WAGE Score of 76, Smart Money.
Brown's $53.1M now has to buy more wins as George and cap room, and Brad Stevens must show how a roster remade since the 2024 title contends.