Celtics' Jayson Tatum reacts to the Jaylen Brown trade

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Celtics' Jayson Tatum reacts to the Jaylen Brown trade

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jul 3, 2026 5:39 PM ET

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum offered his first reaction to the Jaylen Brown blockbuster trade on Friday.

Tatum shared a photo of himself and Brown together on Instagram, along with a farewell message to his former teammate after Brown was shockingly dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers this week.

He wrote that he has “nothing but love and respect” for Brown and is eager to see how Brown will continue to succeed.

“9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player,” Tatum wrote. “From first-round exits to winning a chip together, I’m thankful for it all. Nothing but love and respect for you as a player and as a person! Looking forward to seeing how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special!”

Jayson Tatum officially says goodbye to Jaylen Brown after getting traded to the Sixers:

"9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player. From first-round exits to winning a chip together, I’m thankful for it all. Nothing… pic.twitter.com/SknDKI7yn7
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) July 3, 2026

Speculation about Tatum’s relationship with Brown never entirely went away, even after they won a championship together. For his part, Tatum has consistently denied that they ever had problems, though he acknowledged that he inadvertently contributed to rumors about their relationship.

The Celtics have always treated Tatum as the franchise player, and have doubled down on that with some recent moves. That will continue to feed speculation that Tatum had a role in forcing Brown out, even though there is no evidence to support that.

Tatum will have plenty of chances to follow Brown’s journey up close. With Brown headed to the 76ers, the two will now be division rivals and face each other four times per season.

More must-reads: