How Celtics inadvertently helped 76ers land LeBron James

Deciding to trade Jaylen Brown had huge domino effect for Celtics

He made the stunning decision to send Brown to Philadelphia, arguably the team’s biggest rival, and the butterfly effect has come quickly and forcefully. Not only did acquiring the former NBA Finals MVP elevate the team to true contender status, it also made them one of the most-likely suitors for forward LeBron James.

The 22-time All-Star announced that he’d be joining the 76ers on Friday after nearly an entire month of deliberation. ESPN reporter Shams Charania made it clear that he would not have reached this decision if the Brown trade never happened.

The Celtics, who have become known for dominating the 76ers and making savvy trades, seem to have swapped their position with Philadelphia and made one of the most questionable trades in recent NBA history. Trading Brown isn’t exactly the problem — it’s the fact that all the team got back was 36-year-old Paul George, a first-round pick swap, a first-round pick and two second-round picks.

Then, when you consider the fact that the price to dump George’s contract appeared to be a first-round pick, the Celtics essentially traded an MVP candidate in his prime for a pick swap and two second-round picks. Combine this with the fact that James doesn’t choose Philadelphia without this deal, and the trade looks considerably worse.

The Celtics beat up on the 76ers year after year, eliminating them from the playoffs three times in four meetings since the beginning of the 2016-17 season, but that likely won’t be the case anymore. Boston could have built a potential dynasty, but instead, the Celtics may have opened a massive title window for one of their biggest rivals that won’t close any time soon if they play their cards right.