Free Agent/Trade Thread 2026-27, Part X (It's a Tragedy to See the Dream is Over)

[canman1971]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7435051/2026/07/09/jaylen-brown-trade-joe-mazzulla-comments-celtics/

For someone reportedly so smart and cerebral, you want to think he understood years ago that this was a business. Having said that, I get that emotions run hot, and this is still very recent... but man, try to show a bit of class, especially when the organization has gone out of its way to only say nice things about you.

I think you're both being a little dishonest.

Who are both? I just posted the article.

[CelticFaninLBC]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7435051/2026/07/09/jaylen-brown-trade-joe-mazzulla-comments-celtics/

For someone reportedly so smart and cerebral, you want to think he understood years ago that this was a business. Having said that, I get that emotions run hot, and this is still very recent... but man, try to show a bit of class, especially when the organization has gone out of its way to only say nice things about you.

I think you're both being a little dishonest.

How dare you accuse the poster who copied and pasted a portion from an article as having an agenda!!!

[sam_I_am]

For someone reportedly so smart and cerebral, you want to think he understood years ago that this was a business. Having said that, I get that emotions run hot, and this is still very recent... but man, try to show a bit of class, especially when the organization has gone out of its way to only say nice things about you.

I think you're both being a little dishonest.

Who are both? I just posted the article.

Do you honestly expect us to believe that?

[CelticFaninLBC]

For someone reportedly so smart and cerebral, you want to think he understood years ago that this was a business. Having said that, I get that emotions run hot, and this is still very recent... but man, try to show a bit of class, especially when the organization has gone out of its way to only say nice things about you.

I think you're both being a little dishonest.

Who are both? I just posted the article.

LOL. Did an AI do this copy & paste?

“When something like that happens, it’s not a black-and-white type of thing,” Mazzulla said after the Celtics’ summer league practice Thursday.

“The part that I hope gets talked about more, and the part that we really want to focus on the most, is really just the respect, the appreciation and the gratitude for what he did for the Celtics for 10 years.

“He was a Celtic longer than I have been. He was here before me. He set the tone and started that, and was a part of special things, and continued that, and obviously was one of the biggest reasons why we were able to be as successful as we have been. So that to me is what we have to focus on more: The respect as a competitor and the gratitude for what he’s done.”

As for Brown, he saw the move differently.

“I just got traded. … They packed me up, bro. It’s a crazy business, bro. Don’t become a basketball player,” Brown told streamer IShowSpeed while they watched the World Cup quarterfinal match between France and Morocco on Thursday and discussed his recent trade. “There’s no loyalty. There’s no love.”

When IShowSpeed asked Brown what happened, he said: “That’s a real good question. I think a lot of people wanna hear that — they asking that question right now. I don’t know. I got packed up.

“They packed me up, ‘Sayonara.’ … I’m outta here.”

[bisme37]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

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[ryan in Maine]

For someone reportedly so smart and cerebral, you want to think he understood years ago that this was a business. Having said that, I get that emotions run hot, and this is still very recent... but man, try to show a bit of class, especially when the organization has gone out of its way to only say nice things about you.

I think you're both being a little dishonest.

Who are both? I just posted the article.

I guess it's the article itself but the snippet makes it seem especially bad. Mazzulla actually avoids discussing the trade at first, and pivots to JB and why we should all be showing him respect. But then the article says JB saw the move differently suggesting he disagrees with... Mazzulla complimenting him? I would assume that JB agrees with Mazzulla up to this point in the piece wholeheartedly and would love to be shown respect as a Celtics legend, rather than be subjected to the obvious and ongoing smears from Celtics ownership, who are following the classic private equity playbook. This is what they do to literally anyone and everyone that could make them look bad across every industry and level of government lol. You could actually make an argument, a solid argument, that private equity bros are destroying literally everything on the Earth other than their bank accounts. You cannot trust them. You should assume they're lying. Like when Brad says it's a cap issue then Chisolm immediately contradicts him and says no it's for basketball reasons. You don't think Brad just lied. Anyways I'm getting sidetracked.

At no point in the article does Mazzulla contradict or challenge anything JB said. In fact, Mazzulla seems to be honestly confused by all the negativity aimed at JB and not in favor of it at all. Later in the piece it appears to me that he actually uses his own personal experience during the trade to validate JB's feelings.

So quick recap of JB's comments on the trade quoted in the article —

• I just got traded
• They packed me up, bro
• It’s a crazy business, bro
• Don’t become a basketball player
• There’s no loyalty
• There’s no love
• That’s a real good question
• I think a lot of people wanna hear that
• they asking that question right now
• I don’t know
• I got packed up

That's everything JB says in the article sans cheese steaks. Mazzulla doesn't say he sees anything differently there. He talks about respecting JB, integrating new players, and that he personally didn't have to go through what JB is.

That's a rage bait article trying to make it sound like JB is being disrespectful or dishonest or feuding with Mazzulla. It contained none of it. So for SuperDeluxe to read it, especially if only the text you snipped, then say JB isn't showing class and that we've gone out of our way to only say nice things it's just like, are we reading/listening to the same thing lol?

[Kefa461]

boston needs to make one more move before the season begins........

[playa-hater]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

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Can he still be traded and Save Denver the money?

[ryan in Maine]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

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Yep. If you draft them you should be rewarded for your insight and player development skills. Not punished.

Watch on YouTube

[DarkAzcura]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

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I generally agree, but people wanted parity. Maybe there is a middle ground (reducing cap hit for your drafted players), but I have to wonder if this fixes itself over time with certain types of players (non first options) being offered lesser contracts. If the problem is Brown making 35% of the cap..then don’t offer that much. I know it’s not that simple, and perception becomes bad around the league, but something has to give.

[SuperDeluxe]

That's a rage bait article trying to make it sound like JB is being disrespectful or dishonest or feuding with Mazzulla. It contained none of it. So for SuperDeluxe to read it, especially if only the text you snipped, then say JB isn't showing class and that we've gone out of our way to only say nice things it's just like, are we reading/listening to the same thing lol?

I didn't say anything about JB being disrespectful or dishonest or feuding with Mazzulla. I was actually referring to the organization.

Reading the article again (or the snippet, really), I agree that the way it was written doesn't show good faith. But my comment stands: I firmly believe that JB should try to be more restrained ... but I'm not in his shoes. Maybe as weeks go by things are going to change. I can't imagine bad blood between JB and the Celtics ever.

[canman1971]

I think you're both being a little dishonest.

Who are both? I just posted the article.

LOL. Did an AI do this copy & paste?

“When something like that happens, it’s not a black-and-white type of thing,” Mazzulla said after the Celtics’ summer league practice Thursday.

“The part that I hope gets talked about more, and the part that we really want to focus on the most, is really just the respect, the appreciation and the gratitude for what he did for the Celtics for 10 years.

“He was a Celtic longer than I have been. He was here before me. He set the tone and started that, and was a part of special things, and continued that, and obviously was one of the biggest reasons why we were able to be as successful as we have been. So that to me is what we have to focus on more: The respect as a competitor and the gratitude for what he’s done.”

As for Brown, he saw the move differently.

“I just got traded. … They packed me up, bro. It’s a crazy business, bro. Don’t become a basketball player,” Brown told streamer IShowSpeed while they watched the World Cup quarterfinal match between France and Morocco on Thursday and discussed his recent trade. “There’s no loyalty. There’s no love.”

When IShowSpeed asked Brown what happened, he said: “That’s a real good question. I think a lot of people wanna hear that — they asking that question right now. I don’t know. I got packed up.

“They packed me up, ‘Sayonara.’ … I’m outta here.”

Some of you are unbelievable. Some cannot read the whole article. I just clipped a couple of portions of it. Work on being better.

[ryan in Maine]

That's a rage bait article trying to make it sound like JB is being disrespectful or dishonest or feuding with Mazzulla. It contained none of it. So for SuperDeluxe to read it, especially if only the text you snipped, then say JB isn't showing class and that we've gone out of our way to only say nice things it's just like, are we reading/listening to the same thing lol?

I didn't say anything about JB being disrespectful or dishonest or feuding with Mazzulla. I was actually referring to the organization.

Reading the article again (or the snippet, really), I agree that the way it was written doesn't show good faith. But my comment stands: I firmly believe that JB should try to be more restrained ... but I'm not in his shoes. Maybe as weeks go by things are going to change. I can't imagine bad blood between JB and the Celtics ever.

I appreciate that and there's probably some truth to it for people who don't like streamers and their MO.

I'm gonna start a rumor here but the guy with the record for most dunks on Giannis is sometimes unrestrained lol.

Also didn't mean to imply you personally think he's disrespectful dishonest feuding, but the article, and the media blitz generally, really really wants bad blood between us and JB.

I think we should try to maintain the same decorum as Brad and Joe, but that's a lot to ask on the internet lol

[meatball sub]

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Lmfao

[leper-con]

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[leper-con]

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Lmfao

Gotta love the fugazzi Heat Culture

[celtxman]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

Read on Twitter

There isn't enough space to write about how bad the CBA is. What I will write about is something Stevens mentioned that not many picked up on ans something I wrote about before. The NBA tells teams how much they want to keep home grown with their team hence developing the SUPERMAX. Yet like most things, the NBA botched this. They COULD have said the teams would pay the SUPERMAX rate to the players, but the extra money between the MAX and SUPERMAX would not count against the CAP, but they didn't. The cost to Boston is about $16 Million on the CAP. Would it have made a difference.? I'll let Brad Stevens answer as he did at the presser: We may not be sitting here if there was a rule in the CBA that said, ‘The guys that you drafted that you signed for 35% supermaxes count as 25% of the cap, because then that would allow you to build out towards the aprons with a lot less flexibility, or with a lot more flexibility.”
Adam Silver and the NBA KILLED US on this. The ultimate bait and switch - we want to keep teams with homegrown players together, but we'll punish you if you try.

[Fierce1]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

Read on Twitter

There isn't enough space to write about how bad the CBA is. What I will write about is something Stevens mentioned that not many picked up on ans something I wrote about before. The NBA tells teams how much they want to keep home grown with their team hence developing the SUPERMAX. Yet like most things, the NBA botched this. They COULD have said the teams would pay the SUPERMAX rate to the players, but the extra money between the MAX and SUPERMAX would not count against the CAP, but they didn't. The cost to Boston is about $16 Million on the CAP. Would it have made a difference.? I'll let Brad Stevens answer as he did at the presser: We may not be sitting here if there was a rule in the CBA that said, ‘The guys that you drafted that you signed for 35% supermaxes count as 25% of the cap, because then that would allow you to build out towards the aprons with a lot less flexibility, or with a lot more flexibility.”
Adam Silver and the NBA KILLED US on this. The ultimate bait and switch - we want to keep teams with homegrown players together, but we'll punish you if you try.

Not disagreeing with you because the extra money from the max to the supermax should not count against the cap makes sense.

But the parity in the NBA right now is good for the entire league.

Sucks for us, but I think overall it's good for everyone.

[Shak_Celts]

The CBA sucks imo. Teams should be able to re-sign their own young players. Making good teams blow it up every couple years leads to a worse on-court product.

Read on Twitter

There isn't enough space to write about how bad the CBA is. What I will write about is something Stevens mentioned that not many picked up on ans something I wrote about before. The NBA tells teams how much they want to keep home grown with their team hence developing the SUPERMAX. Yet like most things, the NBA botched this. They COULD have said the teams would pay the SUPERMAX rate to the players, but the extra money between the MAX and SUPERMAX would not count against the CAP, but they didn't. The cost to Boston is about $16 Million on the CAP. Would it have made a difference.? I'll let Brad Stevens answer as he did at the presser: We may not be sitting here if there was a rule in the CBA that said, ‘The guys that you drafted that you signed for 35% supermaxes count as 25% of the cap, because then that would allow you to build out towards the aprons with a lot less flexibility, or with a lot more flexibility.”
Adam Silver and the NBA KILLED US on this. The ultimate bait and switch - we want to keep teams with homegrown players together, but we'll punish you if you try.

Not disagreeing with you because the extra money from the max to the supermax should not count against the cap makes sense.

But the parity in the NBA right now is good for the entire league.

Sucks for us, but I think overall it's good for everyone.

Let’s see how you feel about parity in a few seasons when it’s another pairing you’ll have to choose between. Hugo and Tatum. Hugo and Cenac. Cenac and whoever we pick next season? Some other guys were don’t know yet.

Imagine having to choose between Bird or McHale. We could go down any teams with good homegrown duos and be at a loss if one had to go.

It’s the CBA but I will forever blame LBJ!! I think people blame McCollum, but need to look at super-team-builder extraordinaire!

[Fierce1]

There isn't enough space to write about how bad the CBA is. What I will write about is something Stevens mentioned that not many picked up on ans something I wrote about before. The NBA tells teams how much they want to keep home grown with their team hence developing the SUPERMAX. Yet like most things, the NBA botched this. They COULD have said the teams would pay the SUPERMAX rate to the players, but the extra money between the MAX and SUPERMAX would not count against the CAP, but they didn't. The cost to Boston is about $16 Million on the CAP. Would it have made a difference.? I'll let Brad Stevens answer as he did at the presser: We may not be sitting here if there was a rule in the CBA that said, ‘The guys that you drafted that you signed for 35% supermaxes count as 25% of the cap, because then that would allow you to build out towards the aprons with a lot less flexibility, or with a lot more flexibility.”
Adam Silver and the NBA KILLED US on this. The ultimate bait and switch - we want to keep teams with homegrown players together, but we'll punish you if you try.

Not disagreeing with you because the extra money from the max to the supermax should not count against the cap makes sense.

But the parity in the NBA right now is good for the entire league.

Sucks for us, but I think overall it's good for everyone.

Let’s see how you feel about parity in a few seasons when it’s another pairing you’ll have to choose between. Hugo and Tatum. Hugo and Cenac. Cenac and whoever we pick next season? Some other guys were don’t know yet.

Imagine having to choose between Bird or McHale. We could go down any teams with good homegrown duos and be at a loss if one had to go.

It’s the CBA but I will forever blame LBJ!! I think people blame McCollum, but need to look at super-team-builder extraordinaire!

If it applies to all then that's fine.

Cs will eventually win another championship.
It's just a matter of when.

But domination is not possible with this current CBA and that's fine.