The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers made one of the biggest moves of the offseason, with Boston sending Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
For fantasy, Brown remains the headliner. He’s coming off the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.1 APG and 1.0 SPG while shooting 47.7% from the field. He set career highs in points, rebounds and assists, and became the fourth player in Celtics history to average at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a season.
How this impacts Brown and the 76ers
Editor’s Picks
Fantasy basketball: How values shift for Kessler, Powell, Collins on new teams
Andre Snellings and Eric Moody
Fantasy basketball: Herro among biggest beneficiaries of Giannis trade
André Snellings
Fantasy basketball: LaMelo takes some heat off Anthony Edwards
Andre Snellings
2 Related
The move to Philadelphia lowers Brown’s usage slightly because he now joins Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Brown and Maxey ranked fourth and fifth in the league in scoring last season at 28.7 and 28.3 PPG, respectively, so there will be some shot volume questions.
Still, Brown’s fantasy value doesn’t take a huge hit. He gives the 76ers another high-end scorer and two-way wing, and even if his scoring dips a little, his rebounding, assists, efficiency and defensive production should keep him in early-round territory in drafts.
For Maxey, Brown’s arrival will take away some usage, but it should also make the offense harder to defend. Maxey will not need to carry as much of the scoring burden every night, which could lower his ceiling slightly but help his efficiency.
Embiid remains the center of the 76ers’ fantasy ecosystem when healthy, though Brown gives Philadelphia another elite option who can keep the offense afloat if Embiid misses time or is given rest days.
How this impacts George and the Celtics
Your League, Your Rules
Create a league and customize league size, scoring and rules to play in the league you want to play in.
Create a league today!
Meanwhile in Boston, George’s fantasy outlook is more complicated. He averaged 17.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.6 APG last season while shooting 43.9% from the field, but he appeared in only 37 games. George has reached 60 games just once in the last seven regular seasons, so availability remains the biggest concern.
When healthy, George can still provide points, threes, rebounds and some defensive value. The Celtics scheme should help his 3-point volume, but he is no longer a top-tier fantasy option.
With Brown gone, Jayson Tatum becomes the clear long-term focal point in Boston, while Derrick White and the Celtics’ remaining guards could see more chances to handle the ball.
