76ers Coach Nick Nurse Reveals What He Really Thinks of Jaylen Brown Trade
The Jaylen Brown sweepstakes had been building for weeks.
The Boston Celtics got bounced in the first round of the playoffs, and Brown, coming off a career year in which he was the go-to guy, said it was his “favorite” season despite the disappointing finish.
Those comments drew harsh criticism, specifically from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, and only intensified the growing speculation that Boston could move on from the former Finals MVP.
But nobody thought it would be to a conference rival.
On July 1, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled the trigger, trading Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031), and two second-round picks (2028, 2030) in exchange for Brown.
Brown was the face of the Celtics franchise alongside Jayson Tatum, a five-time All-Star and the best player during their 2024 NBA Finals run. He was considered a franchise cornerstone. Now, he’ll be playing just a five-hour drive down the road.
76ers head coach Nick Nurse can be added to the list of people shocked by the deal.
Tony Jones of The Athletic reported Nurse being “floored” by the acquisition and is already imagining the possibilities of adding Brown to Philadelphia’s young core.
"My first thoughts are that I've had a lot of battles against him," Nurse said of Brown. "You watch him get a lot better from year to year and how much harder it became to game plan for him and things like that.”
“He's won a lot. Obviously, he's won a title and a Finals MVP. I think he's a two-way player, and I think he's versatile. I think he's right there, sitting in his prime. It's amazing that he's a Sixer.”
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The move comes following an encouraging 2025-26 season for Philly. After finishing 24-58 the year before, the 76ers rebounded to 45-37, earning the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, and knocked off the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, already looks like one of the most exciting young guards in the league, and Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into a legitimate franchise superstar.
Yet, with injuries to Maxey and Joel Embiid, Philly still lacked another dependable star.
Brown changes that immediately. He gives the 76ers an elite scorer who can create his own shot, defend multiple positions, and take pressure off both Embiid and Maxey on both ends of the floor.
And unlike the 76ers’ previous roster, Brown brings championship experience and has proved he can thrive in the biggest moments.
Nurse already has one championship under his belt. He guided the Toronto Raptors to the franchise’s first NBA title in 2019 behind another elite two-way wing and former Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard. Now, he’ll have the chance to chase another title with Brown.
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 1:08 PM.