RealGM Basketball Wiretap

03 July 2026

• Knicks Have 'Shown Some Interest' In Signing LeBron James

  The New York Knicks have "shown some interest" in signing LeBron James, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

  The Nuggets and Sixers have also registered their interest in James.

  It is widely expected around the league that James will likely take his time to come to a decision on where he plays next season.

  The Warriors reportedly have planned additional moves to clear cap space in case James shows interest in signing with the team.

  The Cavs and Heat are also mentioned as co-favorites with the Warriors to land James.

• Celtics Not Motivated By Money Or Follow-Up Trade In Dealing Jaylen Brown

  The Boston Celtics' blockbuster trade sending Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers was not a cost-cutting move and was not made with a follow-up deal in mind, according to a league source.

  Boston sent the 2024 NBA Finals MVP to Philadelphia on Wednesday in exchange for Paul George, two future first-round picks and two second-round picks.

  George has two years remaining on his four-year, $211 million contract, one fewer than Brown had remaining. The swap will save the Celtics roughly $2.9 million this season.

  Despite that savings, a league source stressed the trade was not a financial decision. The source said there was no directive from ownership to move Brown.

  The same source added that Wednesday's deal was not executed with an imminent secondary trade already planned. Boston's front office reportedly "agonized" over the decision for days before finalizing it.

• Jaylen Brown Never Requested Trade; Celtics Didn't Expect Offers To Improve If They Waited

  Jaylen Brown never requested a trade from the Boston Celtics and his departure this offseason appears to have been driven by the front office. The Celtics moved forward with their trade of Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and two first round picks.

  "I'm told Jaylen Brown has been disappointed and disrespected with the way the Celtics have handled this situation, particularly because he never requested a trade," said Shams Charania.

  Brown is ready to move on to a new start with the Sixers.

  "I'm told he's already spoken to the team's cornerstone guard, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgcombe. They have had great early conversations during the first 24 hours after this trade."

  Charania went on to explain how the Celtics arrived at this place and why they didn't try to wait out the current offers for them to improve in the future.

  "Once the Celtics missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo-for the fourth straight year Jaylen Brown was dangled in trade conversations," said Charania. "My understanding was Jaylen Brown felt disrespected and the only way to recoup the relationship at that point was to give Jaylen Brown that two-year, $145 million extension in July.

  "But all indications now are that the Celtics were not going to offer that. It then became about seeing what you could get on the trade market. The Celtics set a very high bar. They asked for four or five first round picks. But that price just was not met in the marketplace. As time went on as they aggressively shopped him among eight to 10 different teams, the valuation plummeted across the NBA.

  "When I talked to teams today, they have wondered why didn't the Celtics prolong this later into July? Later into the offseason. What made them pull the trigger now?

  "My understanding in Boston is they felt this was the best it was going to get for Jaylen Brown."

  The Celtics offered Brown in trade talks for Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 and again last offseason when they ended up trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

  Charania also reported that rival teams inquired with the Celtics on the potential of a trade for Jayson Tatum, but those calls were swiftly rebuffed.

• Anfernee Simons, Sixers Agree To Two-Year, $12.3M Deal

  Anfernee Simons and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million contract. Simons will hold a player option for Year 2 of the contract.

  Simons received interest from the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and others.

  The 76ers' signing of Simons follows their trade with the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown.

• Celtics Rejected Every Trade Call On Jayson Tatum Amid Decision To Move Jaylen Brown

  The Boston Celtics never seriously considered trading Jayson Tatum despite recent inquiries from rival teams, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Boston instead determined weeks ago that it needed to move on from Jaylen Brown, ultimately sending him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and two future first round picks.

  "Whether it was personal situations between the two players or whether it was just the on-court basketball fit, the Celtics had just made the determination that, moving forward, they can no longer win a championship, clearly, with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum," said Charania on Thursday's episode of Get Up.

  "The Celtics received calls on Jayson Tatum over the last couple of weeks. They shut those down completely, from my understanding. But when it came to Jaylen Brown, they were open to listening, and they have been for quite some time now."

  The Celtics previously offered Brown in a trade package to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022 offseason.

  "Remember in 2022, they offered Jaylen Brown for Kevin Durant," added Charania. "This summer, they offered Jaylen Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo. They missed out on both. And so, it became about what they can get for him once the toothpaste was out of the proverbial tube. But why now?

  "There are three years left on Jaylen Brown's contract. They go out seeking four or five first-round picks in deals. It was very clear that Jaylen Brown felt a level of disrespect being thrown out there in trade talks. And well, listen, the only way to make him feel better is by showing him the money in late July. Two years, $145 million is what he was eligible for on an extension with the Celtics. All indications after this trade are that, clearly, that offer was never coming. That was never going to happen.

  "And so, the Celtics aggressively shopped Jaylen Brown over the last few days, and the bar kept going down every single day. It was getting lower and lower, and I had GMs telling me, 'Eventually, Brad Stevens and the Celtics will have to trade him for 40 cents on the dollar.' Now, why was his value so low? You can figure it out depending on who you ask. But to trade him at 29 years old to a rival? It is stunning for everyone in the NBA."

  Rival executives believe the Celtics traded Brown under duress.

• Rival Executives Believe Celtics Made Jaylen Brown Trade 'Under Duress'

  The Boston Celtics' trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and two future first round picks was one of the more stunning transactions for league insiders in recent memory despite the well-documented presence of Brown in trade rumors for several weeks.

  The Celtics' front office from the Danny Ainge tenure to now with Brad Stevens and Mike Zarren have historically operated in a very measured way.

  While Boston received two first round picks back for Brown, the Sixers probably would have had to attach one future first round pick merely to trade away George due to the size of his contract relative to his productivity. The Celtics were previously seeking as many as four or five future first round picks for Brown after they had offered him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

  According to executives on rival teams that spoke with ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the conclusion currently being reached around the NBA is that the Celtics clearly felt they had to expedite a Brown trade even if the return is less than his widely perceived value.

  "Other teams in the league felt like this looked like a trade that was made under duress," said Windhorst on Sports Center in the hours after the trade. "That you wouldn't make this trade if everything was equal. And I look forward to hearing an explanation from the Celtics' side because I cannot explain it on its face.

  "Even if they wanted to move on from Jaylen Brown, and even if they didn't like the offers that they had today, it doesn't make sense why this trade would have to happen now. Even if you believe that Jaylen Brown had played his last game for you, there's just no reason to feel any pressure to make this move on July 1st. I promise you that there would have been other opportunities.

  "And not only that, to make it to a team that is in your conference, in your division. A team that just vanquished you in the playoffs? The more you look at it, the more mystifying it gets.

  "The Celtics are a team that is very studied, that doesn't make any move without thinking it through. I'm sure that they have their reasons for the exact way they went about this, but they're going to be reasons that are going to be very difficult to articulate and understand."

• Sixers Interested In Signing LeBron James

  The Philadelphia 76ers have reached out to express interest in signing LeBron James, who is exploring his options in free agency.

  Philadelphia's pursuit comes hours after the franchise completed a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown, sending Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics. The Sixers have now entered the mix for James, who became an unrestricted free agent following eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

  Philadelphia already has enough scoring, depth and playmaking at the top of its roster to allow James to settle into a complementary role.

  With or without James, the 76ers project as legitimate championship contenders next season. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also viewed as frontrunners in the pursuit of James. The Denver Nuggets, like the Sixers, have reached out with interest in James.

  James has instructed his agent, Rich Paul, to collect his options to present to him in the coming days.

• 76ers Acquire Jaylen Brown From Celtics For Paul George, Two First Round Picks

  The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics for Paul George, two first round picks and two second round picks.

  The Sixers are sending a 2028 first round pick that could convert from a first to a swap that is more favorable to the Celtics, a 2031 unprotected first rounder, the most favorable 2028 second rounder of the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks plus the most favorable 2030 second rounder out of the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns.

  The Celtics canvassed the NBA over the past week searching for an acceptable trade of Brown after their attempts to trade him to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo were unsuccessful.

  Shams Charania reported that he first received word of these discussions earlier on Wednesday.

  Brown appeared in 71 games during the 2025-26 season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 34.4 minutes as he led the Celtics to 56 wins in what was expected to be a gap year without Jayson Tatum and after trading away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

  Brown is on a $57 million contract for the 2026-27 season followed by $61 million in 2027-28 and $64.9 million in 2028-29. Brown will become eligible for a a two-year, $141.8 million contract extension.

  George appeared in 37 games this season, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 30.7 minutes. George shot 39.2 percent on three-pointers.

  George is owed $54.1 million in 2026-27 and has a player option for $56.6 million in 2027-28.

  The Sixers will enter next season with a core of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe plus Brown. The Sixers also signed Dean Wade in free agency on Tuesday.

• Kelly Oubre, Pacers Agree To Two-Year, $17M Deal

  Kelly Oubre and the Indiana Pacers have agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal.

  Oubre appeared in 50 games with the Sixers last season, averaging 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 31.5 minutes. Oubre shot 36.0 percent on three-pointers.

  Oubre will be joining his sixth NBA team and will be playing in his age-30 season.

• Ariel Hukporti, Sixers Agree To One-Year, $3.4M Deal

  Ariel Hukporti and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a one-year, $3.4 million deal.

  Hukporti spent the past two seasons with the New York Knicks. During the 2025-26 season, Hukporti averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 9.2 minutes over 54 games.

  Hukporti gives the Sixers extra depth at center behind Joel Embiid.