Boston Celtics
The Celtics legend said he was put off by the trade rumors swirling around Brown before he was eventually dealt.
Hall of Famer Robert Parish disagrees with the Celtics’ choice to trade Jaylen Brown. Daniel Parhizkaran/Global Staff
Before the Boston Celtics decided to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, legend Robert Parish said trade rumors involving Brown “bothered” him.
“That would be a serious misjudgment for Brad Stevens, management and ownership,” Parrish said earlier this week before the news broke. “I find it annoying, uncomfortable.”
Parrish was already upset in the wake of Boston’s trade to the Sixers.
The Basketball Hall of Famer, who played in Boston from 1980 to 1994 and won four NBA Finals during his 21-year career, said: SiriusXM NBA “Give and Go” Radio Thursday “doesn’t like” the move a bit.
“I’m sure moving that contract gave the Celtics more wiggle room to add other pieces or new pieces. I understand that. I still don’t like it,” Parrish said. “When I first heard about it, the first thing I thought of was the Dallas Mavericks when they moved Luka [Doncic]. You know, just a bad move historically.
The Mavericks stunned the NBA in February 2025 when they traded Doncic, one of the league’s best players, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and a first-round pick. Doncic has become an integral part of the Lakers and is now the face of the franchise, and LeBron James is reportedly planning to continue his career elsewhere.
The Doncic trade is widely considered one of the worst NBA trade decisions in recent memory. For Parrish — one of the Celtics’ best players ever — comparing Brown’s deal to Doncic’s is pretty obvious.
“And I felt the same way when I heard about Jaylen being traded to the 76ers,” Parrish continued. “Not to mention, in the same department, that was a head-scratcher for me. But I’m sure the Celtics have their reasons to move Jaylen and decide they’re going in another direction.”
Parrish, nicknamed “The Boss,” made it clear that he would not criticize Boston’s decision to part ways with Brown, but he made it clear that he did not agree with it.
He imagined what former Celtics coach and CEO Red Auerbach would think about this deal, and he didn’t mince words.
“If it’s red [Auerbach] He was alive… I think that would have made him sick. “He may have resented the move,” Parrish said. Auerbach led Boston to eight straight championships from 1959-1966 as a head coach and went on to win seven more NBA Finals as a general manager between 1966-1984.
“But I wouldn’t criticize Boston too much,” Parrish added. “The decision makers had their reasons for trading Jaylen. I’m sure Boston is very big on the analytical side of basketball, so I’m sure that was probably a factor in their move on from Jaylen.
“Jaylen Browns, it’s so hard for them to come and move on from him. Not to mention he’s at the peak of his career, so you’re just going to let him go?”
Despite Parrish’s feelings about the trade, the 72-year-old hopes the Browns and Boston can find a way to be amicable in the near and distant future.
“We hope neither Jaylen nor the Boston Celtics harbor any animosity toward each other,” Parrish said. “I hope they can put this behind them and move on. And down the road when Jaylen’s career is over — or about to end when he’s on the downside of his career — I hope the Boston Celtics decide to hang his jersey in the rafters because he deserves it.”
“He deserved it. He had an impact on our organization and on the team. Additionally, he was an integral part of our championship run.”
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