Not trying to be inflammatory here, but I feel like there?s been a lot of charged emotions around this trade and I wonder if there is any scenario where the detractors could be swayed. Here are the factors as I see them that could lead to this being a successful trade.
1. 55+ wins next years. Jalen Brown had an excellent 2025 season leading the Celtics well past any reasonable wins expectations. I?ve seen many people expect a precipitous drop off in wins. So if the Tatum Paul George team matches would rounded last year, that?s a start.
2. Paul George is an asset. Paul George had an excellent 2026 playoff run so it?s possible that he has settled in to his twilight career role and is worth at least 80% of his contract. PG becomes an excellent wingman for Tatum and next season. The conversation is whether you try to use his expiring deal to bring in a star or extend him for the last years of his career at a discounted rate.
3. Internal development from the role players. People have scoffed at the Jalen Brunson comparison for Pritchard but he doesn?t have to match Brunson for the comparison to be correct. If Pritchard is unlocked and works well between Tatum and George in a way that he wasn?t with Brown, that is a significant factor in this trade. The other name that gets brought up a lot in the vitriol is Hugo Gonzales and the Giannis trade. People treat Gonzalez like he?s just another rookie scratch ticket but IMO they are ignoring the Luka Doncic factor to Hugo. Gonzalez has been playing in the Spanish pro system since he was very young and that level of experience is in the 99th percentile for a player his age. Gonzales does not have Luka?s game, but he does have rare defensive instincts that should only improve as his body matures and catches up to his mind. Much of what made Jalen great for this team could be replicated by Gonzales if he develops.
4. The best locker room in the league. There has been much mentioned about how Jalen never requested a trade, and he never spoke badly about the organization and he was proud of his leadership capabilities, but the fact remains that the team moved on. The Brad Stevens era Celtics have been credited as just about the most professional organization in the league and I don?t see that changing. If this locker room remains as tight knit and positive Jalen?s presence will fade more and more into memory. I also remember a lot of people around here upset when they did not resign IT and that has clearly proven to be a great decision. This front office is not afraid to make the unpopular move if they think it?s best for the team and I think that?s commendable.
5. The picks are good. It seems like the only way to evaluate picks in deals like this is to see how many first you can acquire, but the quality of the first can be arguably just as -if not more- important. The 2028 pick has a fairly decent chance of being in the top 8 especially with the flattened lottery odds and the 2031 pick is so far out, anything could happen to Phillie?s roster in that time. Two first round picks in the top 10 have more value than four first round picks in the mid to late 20s.
6. A second star in the future. Is it possible that the Celtics could acquire another top player that would be a better fit with Tatum? If the Celtics were able to get Jokić, for instance it?s really not even a question as to whether the trade would have been successful. Jalen proved to be a great fit with Tatum but there should be better options. Giannis was close but overall not seen as the answer. The JB trade has opened up a path to a new tomorrow and that path probably has a higher ceiling even if a lower floor.
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Now that the dust has settled are there any silver linings to the worst trade in Celtics History?
Topic: What would it take for the Jaylen trade to be viewed positively? (Read 1460 times)