Jaylen Brown says he ‘never demanded a trade’ from Boston Celtics, refuting Brian Scalabrine’s comments
"I have no interest [in] letting any false allegations [follow] me to my next chapter here in Philadelphia," Brown said Wednesday. " ... None of that is true."
INDIANAPOLIS — Jaylen Brown said Wednesday that he “never demanded a trade” from the Boston Celtics and “never made a list of ultimatums” before he was dealt to the 76ers during the summer, publicly refuting comments made by Celtics television analyst Brian Scalabrine earlier this week.
“Never had any issues with Scal,” Brown said after the Sixers’ 114-109 win at the Indiana Pacers. “I love Scal, but I guess he’s doing what he has to do. I can understand why he feels the need to do that. But I have no interest [in] letting any false allegations [follow] me to my next chapter here in Philadelphia. Never. I never demanded a trade. Never made a list of ultimatums. None of the sort. None of that is true.
“But as of now, I’m going to just stay focused on what’s in front of me here in Philadelphia. I got a tremendous opportunity, and I’m looking forward to that. So, I’m going to just leave the questions for another time. But during the season, I’m going to just focus on what’s in front of me.”
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Brown’s comments echoed what a source confirmed to The Inquirer earlier this week. The source contradicted Scalabrine’s comments on his Sirius XM radio show that Brown presented a list of demands and then requested a trade, preferably to the Bucks.
Scalabrine, a former Celtics player, then walked back his report. On a later television appearance before the Celtics’ game against the Chicago Bulls Monday night, Scalabrine said that Brown “technically” did not demand a trade and that he had “no idea” what demands Brown may have made of the Celtics.
The source also confirmed an ESPN report that, after a potential deal to the Bucks did not materialize, Brown only asked for input on his destination should the team trade him. Milwaukee traded two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, though a Celtics offer with Brown as the centerpiece leaked publicly.
Brown’s comments were the latest in a saga regarding his messy departure from the Celtics, where he spent the first 10 years of his NBA career, developed into a five-time All-Star, and won the 2024 championship and Finals MVP.
Shortly after the Sixers stunningly acquired Brown, he said on his Twitch stream that he felt disappointment and a “lack of respect” from the Celtics in the way the franchise handled the trade.
Last week, Brown commented with a cap emoji — internet slang for saying a person is lying — on a video Instagram post of Celtics All-NBA wing Jayson Tatum saying he was surprised when Brown was moved. Then, Tatum said in a postgame press conference that he felt “no animosity or beef or ill will toward” Brown. He added that he called and sent a text message to Brown the day of the trade, and that he would welcome a conversation with his former teammate.
» READ MORE: Jaylen Brown says there’s no Jayson Tatum beef, ‘but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy’
When Brown was asked about his relationship with Tatum, he agreed that there was no “beef” — but there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.”
“Jayson comes from a wonderful family,” Brown added from the Sixers’ locker room following their win over Milwaukee last Saturday.
“We’ve accomplished some great things. He’s a hell of a basketball player. He got a great [public relations] team. … He should stay ready at all times.”
The Sixers’ first regular-season matchup against the Celtics is Nov. 10, before Brown’s return to Boston on Jan. 21.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
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