The relationship between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum helped define the Boston Celtics for nearly a decade, but ESPN’s Shams Charania said the personal connection between the two stars had deteriorated to the point where it was “as close to non-existent as you could have.”
Speaking on the Stephen A. Smith Show, Charania explained that Boston’s decision to trade Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers was not only about salary structure or roster construction. He pointed to deeper issues surrounding Brown’s relationship with the organization and the Celtics’ longtime pairing of their two All-Stars.
“Over the last year or so, that personal relationship it was as close to like, you know, non-existent as you could have,” Charania said. “But on the court they were amazing hardworking professionals together.”
Brown and Tatum remained highly productive when sharing the floor. During the 2025-26 regular season, Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games, finishing sixth in MVP voting and earning All-Star and All-NBA Second Team honors. Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 16 games before his season was limited.
In the playoffs, Brown continued to carry the Celtics offensively, averaging 25.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in seven games. Tatum averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists in six postseason appearances.
Despite their on-court success, Charania described a changing dynamic inside Boston after Tatum returned from injury. Brown had established himself as the team’s primary option, creating tension when Tatum returned to a leadership role he had held throughout his career.
“When Jayson Tatum was coming back to the team, like this was Jaylen Brown’s team and he made it clear that people knew it was his team and Jayson Tatum had to basically just slide in,” Charania said. “But Jayson Tatum has always been a man in Boston.”
The Celtics eventually traded Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and multiple draft picks after repeatedly exploring his availability. Charania said Boston’s handling of those trade discussions affected Brown’s value and contributed to the breakdown.
“The Celtics have shopped Jaylen Brown multiple times,” Charania said, referencing previous trade discussions involving players such as Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. “So the disrespect level that’s already there and they’re dealing with it.”
Charania added that Boston’s decision not to offer Brown a projected two-year, $145 million extension later in the summer was another major factor.
“You can’t shop and do all that and then take the respect factor away,” Charania said. “I’m not saying money solves the problem, but that is a sign of respect.”
The Celtics’ treatment of Brown compared with Tatum was also a central point in Charania’s explanation. While Boston listened on Brown offers, teams were told Tatum was unavailable.
“Teams were calling the Celtics on Jayson Tatum. Their answer was hard stop. No, we’re not trading Jayson Tatum. He’s untouchable,” Charania said. “Jaylen Brown, different story. Open for business. Ready to trade him.”
Brown’s departure ended one of the most successful partnerships in Celtics history. The duo helped Boston reach multiple deep playoff runs and won the 2024 championship, but Charania said their contrasting personalities also shaped the relationship.
“Jayson Tatum is this straight-and-narrow, clean-cut, polished player person,” Charania said, paraphrasing Brown’s own description. “Jaylen Brown is different. He has different thoughts. He wants to do stuff differently in the community. He wants to impact people’s lives.”
