Wednesday marked a month since the Boston Celtics ended their Jaylen Brown saga and the day he began his next chapter. Brown took a placid stance toward his former team, which contrasted with his frustrated expressions during live streams and previous media addresses. But NBA icon Isiah Thomas had to weigh in on the fallout from the blockbuster trade that sent a five-time All-Star to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Zeke, who spent his entire playing career with the Detroit Pistons challenging the Larry Bird Celtics, firmly backed Brown. While on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he expressed deep disappointment in how the Celtics’ front office handled the departure of their franchise cornerstone with hosts Frank Termine and Justin Termine.

“It definitely could’ve been handled better,” Thomas stated emphatically. “And I think for all of us, we’ve never seen the Celtics organization act this way with one of their better players. The Celtics have always been the model.

“Those of us who know (Boston’s President of Basketball Operations) Brad Stevens—I mean, Brad is not that kind of guy who gets into situations like this that the Celtics organization and himself found themselves in. And then Jaylen Brown, I just thought he was [an] innocent bystander in all of it, kinda catching strays and people going by just taking shots at him.”

The public criticism from the Hall of Famer underscores the shock of the July 6 blockbuster, which abruptly ended Brown’s decade-long tenure in Boston. While Brown had previously weathered standard trade rumors throughout his career, the sudden execution of a deal sending him directly to a rival caught the entire league off guard.

The emotional weight of the trade was made clear by Brown himself during his introductory press conference at the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in West Philadelphia. Addressing a jubilant crowd of Sixers executives, fans, and local youth already donning his new jersey, Brown admitted the initial news was jarring.

“When I first got traded, I just threw my phone across the room,” Brown shared, drawing laughs from the audience.

Similar to how he’s shown love to the Boston fanbase who still support him, Brown kept his reflections on his tenure positive.

“My tenure in Boston —10 years— is a perfect cycle, perfect number for completion,” Brown stated. “We won a championship, and I have nothing but respect for the city of Boston. But now it’s time to move forward a little bit.

“My mind is so focused on what’s in front of me. To be honest, I’m moving on. Maybe one day you share the details of how everything transpired and all the moving parts that took place in this. I feel no need to chime in on it.”

Brown will now chase a title with the very rivals he battled for a decade alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and LeBron James. For now, he has one of the biggest villains of Boston backing him.