Celtics trade Superstar Jaylen Brown for Paul George and picks

Terms: the Philadelphia 76ers get Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick that could convert to a pick swap, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and two second-round picks

Last night, the Boston Celtics shocked the sports world by sending former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to their hated rivals for an aging Paul George and multiple draft picks. This could easily be considered one of the worst trades in basketball history when you look at it in a vacuum, as it makes the 76ers immediately better and the Celtics worse. If Nico Harrison had not traded away Luka Doncic, this would probably be the worst trade of all-time in the NBA.

The Philadelphia 76ers came away from this like bandits. This team has been dying to offload Paul George's contract. Not only did they do that, but they foisted it onto their Eastern Conference rivals, while getting Jaylen Brown, a guy who is in the middle of his prime and is one of the 12 best players in the league. Everything about Jaylen Brown is an improvement over Paul George. He's younger, better, more productive, and only costs $3 million dollars more than PG. With this addition, Philly now has the best starting lineup in the NBA. If they can find the cap space to fill out their bench, then this will be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference if they aren't already.

This is a disastrous and head-scratching move by the Celtics in the short-term. They take on an older player who is basically as expensive as Brown and has only played in 78 games over the last two seasons. Even if they flip Paul George and the picks in a trade, this is still a terrible decision because it sends Jaylen Brown to a divisional rival. Now, Boston will have to face Brown at least four times a year for the next few seasons, and that doesn’t even include potential playoff matchups! The Celtics can leverage those picks and PG to acquire a superstar in a year or two, but it's not guaranteed that the plan will work. Who knows what the landscape of the NBA will be in two weeks, let alone a year! Even if they turn around and trade PG and the picks for a guy like Trey Murphy from the New Orleans Pelicans, this is still a dumb trade because the Sixers are still much better off. The Celtics are worse now than they were two days ago. It genuinely would've been better if they did nothing, and Brown sat out the entire season, because then at least he wouldn't be playing for Philly. This move is unjustifiable.

Philadelphia 76ers' grade: A+

Boston Celtics grade: F

Lakers trade for Walker Kessler and give him four-year extension

Terms: the Los Angeles Lakers get Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz and sign him to a four-year, $130 million extension in exchange for a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030

Silly me, I thought this would be the biggest trade of the day when the news broke on Wednesday morning. Boy, do I feel dumb in hindsight.

This is not the most exciting move by the Lakers, but it definitely moves the needle in the right direction. Kessler should be an immediate improvement at the five-spot and the solution to LA's long-standing center issues. Even though Kessler is three years younger than Lakers center Deandre Ayton, he averages more points, rebounds, and assists per game while making a higher percentage of his field goals. Kessler might not be a defensive guru, but his height will allow him to match up well with elite big men out West like Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic. This also allows Ayton to comfortably slide into a backup center role, which he will likely thrive in. Though this is a nice pickup, Kessler has never been in a playoff game, and we don't know if he's the type of guy who can be the third-best player on a championship team, so it knocks LA's grade down a few notches.

The Utah Jazz had a surplus of big men, with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Flipowski, Jusuf Nurkic, Jaxon Hayes, and Walker Kessler, so it was wise for them to move on from one of those guys. The fact that they basically got four high-value first-round picks for one of their excess big men is a major boost. In all likelihood, the picks might not be the most valuable because the Lakers will probably be a playoff team. But with more changes coming to the NBA Draft Lottery system after 2029, these could be incredibly valuable picks, especially if the Luka Doncic-Austin Reaves-Walker Kessler experiment fails. In that case, these selections will be even better than initially thought. However, the Jazz missed out on an A+ because they gave a Western Conference rival a player that they desperately needed, which could hurt them long-term. For now, though, this was a no-brainer for Utah.

Los Angeles Lakers' grade: A-

Utah Jazz's grade: A

Mavericks land Santi Aldama in trade

Terms: the Dallas Mavericks get Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson, a 2030 protected first-round pick, and two future second-round picks.

Who knew AJ Johnson and a protected first-round pick had this kind of value? The two second-round picks are basically throw-ins. Realistically, the Grizzlies parted ways with Aldama for a mid-first-rounder and a meh backup point guard.

With Santi Aldama carrying a $17 million cap hit into this coming season, this was a salary dump move by the Grizzlies, who no longer need Aldama's services. They already had Zach Edey and just drafted Cameron Boozer. After signing Isaiah Stewart in free agency, it didn't make sense for Memphis to pay Santi Aldama $17 million just to have him come in and play fewer than 10 minutes a night. The return of AJ Johnson is underwhelming, but somewhat justifiable after the Grizzlies traded away Ja Morant. The best asset is the draft pick, which could end up going back to Dallas since it originally belonged to the Golden State Warriors and depends on how Golden State finishes the 2029-30 season, when they'll probably be in the NBA's basement after the inevitable retirements of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. Again, this was a salary dump, so the Grizzlies probably weren't too concerned about what they were getting back, but you still would've wanted them to get more for a guy who is a really solid third big man.

This is a nice pickup for the Mavs. This takes pressure off of number-nine overall pick Morez Johnson Jr., who no longer has to be a huge difference-maker right off the bat. Now, the 20-year-old can split minutes with Santi Aldama at power forward and center, allowing him to ease his way into the NBA rather than being thrown into the deep end. Then again, if Dallas wants to move on from power forward P.J. Washington or avoid giving center Dereck Lively II a massive contract extension, they'll have Aldama waiting in the wings and ready to make up their production. This isn't a needle-moving acquisition like the Walker Kessler trade, but it is a smart acquisition that helps the Mavericks continue to build a solid foundation.

Dallas Mavericks' grade: B

Memphis Grizzlies: B-

Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton sign multi-year deals with Lakers

Terms:

• Sandro Mamukelashvili: four years, $52 million

• Quentin Grimes: four years, $60 million

• Collin Sexton: two years, $19 million

Man, it was a VERY busy day for the Los Angeles Lakers. These three signings happened basically at the same time as the Walker Kessler trade, signifying a major roster overhaul.

Considering all of these guys will likely be backups or role players, these are decent moves. Sandro Mamukelashvili will probably alternate between the four and five spot and could even emerge as LA’s starting power forward at some point, so it's reasonable that he will be making $13 million a year, especially for a guy who was in the running for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. Quentin Grimes will provide much-needed relief for Austin Reaves as a good backup shooting guard and scorer. He should be fairly effective when sharing the floor with Luka Doncic. Collin Sexton might be the best contract in the group. He's a career 38.9% three-point shooter who has averaged 17.5 points per game since the start of the 2023-24 season. Sexton will ensure that the Lakers' offense doesn't drop off significantly when Luka Doncic needs a rest. There's no reason to dislike any of these signings. This is just how roster rebuilding is done now in the NBA.

Grade: B+

Rockets land Marcus Smart on a two-year contract

Terms: two years, $13 million

Marcus Smart might not be the producer that he once was, but he can still bring value to a team. He is one of the most reliable defensive point guards in the league and adds veteran leadership to a lineup that depends heavily on younger guys to produce. With Fred VanVleet's contract expiring next off-season, Smart guarantees that the Rockets have some stability at the one spot. Houston will be in the market for a new point guard next off-season, but Marcus Smart has the backup role on the team locked down for the next two years at the very least.

Grade: B

Pistons sign John Collins to three-year deal

Terms: two years, $13 million

With Jalen Duren's piss-poor playoff performance, there was no way that the Pistons were going to sign him to a long-term contract extension. He could return on a cheaper restricted free agent deal, but - in the likely event Duren leaves - Collins could step in and be Detroit's starting center.

John Collins is only 28, which means he is in the midst of his physical prime. He probably isn't going to average 20 and 10 like Duren did last season, but Collins appeared in 69 games last season and averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds a night. More importantly, he has averaged over 27 minutes per game in each of the last three seasons, which is in line with the numbers we see from starters. Collins would be better suited in a backup role on a team like Detroit, which has championship aspirations. It would behoove the Pistons to make a move for a starting center who can average a double-double. But if they go into the 2026-27 season with John Collins starting at the five spot, it wouldn't be the end of the world, especially if he only costs $6.5 million a year.

Grade: B

Bulls sign Norman Powell and re-sign Zach Collins

Terms:

• Norman Powell: two years, $45 million

• Zach Collins: two years, $17 million

We shouldn't thumb our nose at either one of these signings. The Bulls are retaining a dependable backup big man and adding a new starter to the lineup. The Bulls are not going to be a playoff team next season, so it makes sense that neither one of these is a long-term deal. These are bridge contracts that can bring stability to new head coach Tiago Splitter, Caleb Wilson, Dailyn Swain, and Matas Buzelis.

Norman Powell showed that he can be a 20-point-per-night guy last season in Miami. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 21.8 points per game while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Barring any crazy trades, Powell will be the Bulls' starting shooting guard on Opening Night.

At the same time, Zach Collins is a cost-effective third center. He can give you over 15 minutes a night while averaging around 10 points and five rebounds per game. After center Jalen Smith's contract expires next off-season, Collins can comfortably move up in the lineup and become the full-time backup center. This also takes pressure off Caleb Wilson and allows him to play at the four spot full-time if he wants to.

Grade: B+

Celtics land Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson

Terms:

• Mike Conley: one year

• Mitchell Robinson: three years, $47.4 million

Prior to the Jaylen Brown fiasco, the Celtics were having a good showing in free agency. They signed Mike Conely to a one-year deal, but the financial details of the contract have not yet been announced. They also signed Mitchell Robinson away from their divisional rival, which hurts the Knicks while shoring up the center spot in Boston.

Both Conley and Robinson will likely be backups who give the Cs valuable minutes off the bench. Robinson is a good player, but he should not be the starting center on a championship team. He’s best suited as a defense-focused backup who can provide relief for an offense-first big man. At the same time, Mike Conley could be the number three or number two point guard on this team. He’s incredibly smart, is a good passer, and can still give teams over 15 minutes a night. It's a shame that these signings were overshadowed by the Jaylen Brown trade because they were both really sound moves.

Grade: A-

Kelly Oubre joining Pacers

Terms: two years, $17 million

He may be older, but Kelly Oubre Jr. can still ball out. As the 76ers' starting small forward, he averaged 14.1 points and five rebounds per night while playing over 30 minutes a game. He was pretty reliable in the playoffs, where he was fifth on the team in minutes per game (33.1).

This is a great landing match for both Oubre and Indiana. Oubre, who will be turning 31 this coming season, is in the twilight of his career and won't have to play 30+ minutes per game in Indianapolis. He will likely get around 20 minutes a night as the team's second shooting guard and the third small forward. Oubre will also provide veteran leadership to a group that only has two other players over the age of 30. Best of all, he’s cost-effective with a cap hit of roughly $8.5 million per year, which could allow Indy to move on from power forward Obi Toppin if that's the direction it wants to go.

Grade: A

Tobias Harris signs with Spurs

Terms: two years, $31 million

It feels like the narrative has completely changed around Tobias Harris following his performance during the 2026 postseason. After long being seen as a playoff choker, Harris elevated his gameplay and emerged as the Detroit Pistons' number-two scoring option, averaging 18.1 points per game. He was also good for 7.2 rebounds per game during the postseason. Now, though, he will go to San Antonio, where he will take on a new role.

After the recent signing of Julian Champagnie, he is expected to man the Spurs' four spot. Therefore, Tobias Harris will be a valuable bench player who provides relief for Champagnie. More importantly, Harris has the size of a true power forward, meaning he can come in during certain key defensive situations and give San Antonio more height and strength down low. Though forward Keldon Johnson was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, his production took a drastic nose-dive during the postseason, when his scoring output fell to 7.7 points per game from 13.2. With Tobias Harris now in the mix, he will likely fill San Antonio's sixth man role, especially when the playoffs come around. As a long-time starter for multiple playoff teams, Harris should thrive in a backup role, where there will be far less pressure for him to be one of the team's main scoring options. Tobias Harris will have a lot of success with the Spurs.

Grade: A