Photo: Peter Baba

Boston Celtics owner Bill Chisholm acknowledged that trading Jaylen Brown was personally difficult before the franchise ultimately decided to send the five-time All-Star to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Speaking on WEEI, Chisholm said he initially struggled to separate his perspective as a Celtics fan from his responsibilities as the team’s owner, but ultimately trusted president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and the organization’s basketball operations group.

“As a fan, that was tough,” Chisholm said. “I really need to be convinced and, you know, to take the fan passion out of it.”

Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia on July 1 in a deal that brought back veteran forward Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The Celtics had reportedly sought as many as four first-round picks for Brown during trade discussions before completing the deal.

Chisholm said the decision required him to focus on his responsibility to the franchise rather than his personal attachment to Brown, who had spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career in Boston.

“I step back and realize, you have a responsibility to protect and advance the legacy of the Celtics,” Chisholm said. “We’ve got the best brains in basketball. And this is something that they had conviction around.”

Brown was coming off the best scoring season of his career. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games during the 2025-26 regular season while shooting 47.7% from the field, 34.7% from three-point range and 79.5% from the free-throw line.

The production helped Brown earn All-NBA Second Team honors and finish sixth in MVP voting. He also averaged 21.0 field-goal attempts per game while playing 34.4 minutes per contest.

Boston finished 56-26, second in the Eastern Conference, but its season ended in the first round when Philadelphia won Game 7, 109-100.

Chisholm said his personal connection to Brown made the move particularly difficult beyond basketball considerations.

“I really, really like Jaylen as a person,” Chisholm said. “The role he played in the community and obviously the role he played on the court will be sorely missed.”

The Celtics responded to the trade by adding veteran pieces around Jayson Tatum. Boston signed Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million contract and added Mike Conley on a one-year deal, while Neemias Queta agreed to a four-year, $56 million extension.

Chisholm also emphasized his confidence in Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla as Boston enters the post-Brown era. He described the organization’s leadership as a major advantage and said the transition after taking ownership has been seamless because of the quality already in place.

“I think we have the best front office in the NBA,” Chisholm said. “I definitely have a level of trust in Brad and his team.”