There is an epidemic in Boston right now. The city has celebrated endless parades since the turn of the 21st century, as each of the four major sports teams have delivered at least one championship since 2000. In fact, the Bruins are the only organization in Beantown that doesn't have multiple in that timeframe, with the Celtics (two), Red Sox (four), and Patriots (six) combining for 12 title-winning seasons.
And yet, the city simply cannot hang onto its stars. Tom Brady left in free agency at the end of his career, only to win another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kyrie Irving infamously didn't re-sign in Boston. Mookie Betts was later dealt in a disastrous trade. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers would follow him out the door in subsequent years.
Now, you can add 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to that list, as the Celtics inexplicably traded their star forward to the rival Philadelphia 76ers for draft compensation and the ghost of Paul George past.
What all began with the Curse of the Bambino has devolved into a glaring stain on the city's otherwise iconic sports legacy.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Jaylen Brown trade continues Boston's recent legacy of trading stars or letting them walk
Although the Brown trade probably doesn't qualify as the most stunning deal we've seen in recent years — the out-of-nowhere Devers deal is hard to top, as is the logic-defying Luka Dončić trade between the Lakers and Mavericks — it doesn't make the fallout sting any less.
Brown is a superstar. He's two years removed being named Finals MVP and just produced an All-NBA campaign while Jayson Tatum recovered from injury. Maybe his contract was on the verge of becoming onerous, but he's a proven winner who brought another championship parade to Boston. That's worth (a lot) more than a 36-year-old George and two first-round picks.
Of course, the same could be said regarding the Devers trade, which has aged in such a laughably bad manner that it's almost a miracle that Craig Breslow still has his job. And while Chaim Bloom was the one calling the shots when Betts was traded for a pile of scraps, it's impossible not to notice the pattern that's developing here.
It's not like the Red Sox or Celtics are the only teams that trade stars away. The Milwaukee Bucks literally just offloaded Giannis Antetokounmpo, and this year's trade deadline might involve the best pitcher in baseball (Tarik Skubal) getting shipped out of Detroit. It's part of the nature of sports that great players tend to seek refuge elsewhere when their original franchise lets them down.
But for one city to constantly be at the epicenter of so many head-scratching moves — and still win a ton of titles regardless — is as hard to digest as it is to analyze. Boston is a huge market with loyal fans and a recent history of unparalleled success. You'd think that the teams here would have an easier time convincing their best players to stick around... or convincing themselves not to trade their best players away.
Add us as a preferred source on Google