The Celtics just handed their Finals MVP, 29-year-old Jaylen Brown, fresh off a career year, to their biggest Eastern Conference rival, and got back a 36-year-old who has played just 78 games over the last two seasons.

Even the Knicks star Josh Hart couldn’t resist summing it up on X:

“The East offseason is crazy.”

He wasn’t wrong. While Sixers fans celebrated landing an All-NBA talent entering his prime, Celtics fans struggled to make sense of the deal and didn’t hesitate to brand it as one of the franchise’s worst in recent memory.

After aggressively chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo in hopes of extending their championship window, the Celtics have now parted ways with Jaylen Brown for Paul George. The C’s sent the former Finals MVP to their archrival, the Philadelphia 76ers, in one of the biggest blockbuster trades this summer.

In return, Boston receives veteran forward Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and two second-round picks (2028, 2030).

The trade marks a dramatic shift in both houses.

For the Sixers, Brown arrives fresh off the best season of his career. Finishing sixth in the MVP ladder, he recorded 28.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 5.1 apg last season. He now joins Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and the rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe to give the 76ers another legitimate championship core.

The Celtics, meanwhile, find themselves in a far murkier position. After failing to land Giannis, a swap that would have immediately made them title favorites, they pivoted to a 36-year-old carrying two years of injury-riddled production and a 25-game suspension. With Jayson Tatum still working his way back from an Achilles injury, the front office has chosen veteran experience and draft capital over star power.

The fastest comparison fans reached for wasn’t flattering, and it came with a caveat.

In February 2025, the Dallas Mavericks sent Luka Doncic, a 25-year-old generational talent coming off an NBA Finals appearance, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.

The deal was immediately panned as one of the worst in NBA history: trading a player in his prime, to a rival, for an older star on the wrong side of his peak. Dallas’s GM was fired months later. The franchise is now in a rebuild.

The Celtics traded a 29-year-old cornerstone to a division rival and received a 36-year-old on the back nine of his career. The parallel writes itself, and that’s exactly why fans are furious.

The contrast quickly fueled backlash. And the Celtic fans stormed the internet.

The Jaylen Brown blockbuster: Celtics fans in disarray

The online reaction only grew harsher as fans began comparing the trade to the infamous Luka Doncic trade.

One fan wrote, “THE CELTICS HAVE GOT TO BE THE STUPIDEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT AFTER THE MAVS FOR TRADING LUKA.”

The comparison centered on Boston’s return. AD struggled with injuries and barely suited up for the Mavs. Many fans now fear the Celtics could face a similar outcome by giving up a 29-year-old cornerstone for an aging star. PG13 has a recent history of injuries and declining production.

A fan wrote, “Celtics are a finished franchise now.” After losing Jaylen Brown, the Celtics did face a drop in their championship ceiling. With Tatum yet to get his rhythm back since the injury, and PG’s declining production, the front office has a lot of work to do to keep the team in the hunt.

Another reaction attempted to explain the Celtics’ desperation in the bluntest possible way.

“Lmao wow they really wanted to get rid of him.”

That sentiment reflected the belief that Brown remained on the trade block after the failed Giannis pursuit.

While swapping Brown for Giannis would have represented an obvious championship upgrade, many supporters struggled to understand why the Celtics pivoted toward an aging veteran instead. It reflected the growing differences between the parties.

Others focused on where Brown ended up.

“So Boston just traded their “championship player” to the team they blew a 3-1 lead against in the playoffs? Wow.”

The trade sent Brown directly to an Eastern Conference rival that had already emerged as one of its biggest postseason obstacles.

The criticism soon shifted toward Celtics president Brad Stevens.

“FIRE BRAD STEVENS. This is hands down the worst trade in Celtics history.”

Whether that trade proves a success will depend on how the next few seasons unfold, but the frustration revealed just how quickly confidence in the team’s direction vanished.

Another fan wrote, “Paul George once again in a all time bad trade.”

George’s trade history didn’t help the optics either. The Clippers once surrendered Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks to acquire him, a deal now widely considered among the worst in franchise history. Many Celtics fans see Boston walking the same road.

At least Dallas got a former All-NBA player back. Boston got picks and a 36-year-old who has barely played in two years. History will decide which franchise won. But right now, only one fan base is celebrating.