NBA free-agency live updates: Jaylen Brown traded to 76ers, Paul George goes to Celtics

The Boston Celtics are trading 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and a slew of draft capital in yet another blockbuster offseason move in the NBA, according to multiple reports.

It brings Brown’s tenure to Boston to an end after five All-Star appearances in a 10-season run that saw him play in more wins — when counting both regular season and playoff games — than any other player in the league over that span.

And it is another huge move being made via trade this summer, after Giannis Antetokounmpo went from Milwaukee to Miami; Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Ingram headlined a swap between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers; and Ja Morant got traded to Portland by Memphis.

The trade breaks up what has been one of the league’s most successful 1-2 punches in Brown and Jayson Tatum, who helped carry the Celtics to the 2024 NBA title.

Tatum missed most of this past season while recovering from an Achilles tear that happened in the 2025 playoffs, meaning Brown had to carry even more of the load for Boston — and he wound up with career-best averages 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

It seemed, though, that Brown has felt underappreciated, especially after it became known that Boston had included him in trade talks with Milwaukee when Antetokounmpo was on the market.

“Nobody has won more combined regular-season and playoff games since I entered the league 10 years ago,” Brown posted on social media over the weekend. He’s right: The Celtics have won 523 games with Brown in the lineup, including playoff contests, which is six more than Denver has won with Nikola Jokic over that span.

Brown now gets to be part of a squad in Philadelphia alongside guard Tyrese Maxey and center Joel Embiid — someone who Brown recently called a flopper on a livestream.

“Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in (expletive) basketball history,” Brown said. “Flops. He know it. This ain’t breaking news.”

Post-LeBron Lakers build around Luka with Walker Kessler, others

LeBron James is off to hear free-agent pitches and consider how his game could evolve to help a contender.

The Los Angeles Lakers, under a new ownership structure with ties to the Los Angeles Dodgers, have stopped operating like the HBO-drama-series-Buss-led Lakers and like a deep-pocketed, analytical sports behemoth.

And it is a Luka Doncic-led Los Angeles team. The Lakers agreed to a sign-and-trade for Utah Jazz free agent center Walker Kessler — sending out two first-round picks, two pick swaps and no players in the process. Kessler will be on a four-year, $130 million deal.

Los Angeles also quickly came to deals with guard Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million), shooter Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million) and big man Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million). Those role players join a core of Doncic and Austin Reaves, pushing Los Angeles to operate similarly to the latter players’ old Dallas Mavericks teams that made the NBA Finals a few years back.

Kessler is a rim-rolling threat Doncic will utilize. Center Deandre Ayton already picked up his option to return. Athletic wings Jarred Vanderbilt and Adou Thiero will give them rangy wings to complement the shooting.

J.J. Redick finally gets a roster that will allow him to put together team that makes a little more sense.

Celtics fill in the gaps with Mitchell Robinson

The NBA-champion New York Knicks are worried about losing money! They traded their first-round pick, Cameron Carr, to the Los Angeles Lakers so they wouldn’t have to pay him. They are mostly running it back without upgrades, and on Wednesday they lost a key member of their team.

Center Mitchell Robinson reportedly agreed to a three-year, $47 million contract with the Boston Celtics.

He averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 20 minutes per game last season. Injuries and a lack of offensive pop have hurt his value, but he is a shot-blocker and rebounder who can steal chunks of time against bigger teams.

Boston also signed veteran point guard Mike Conley — he’s another guy who brings something if it’s in 15-minute-per-game amounts.

A Jaylen Brown trade is the next big thing that could drop to replenish the Celtics’ depth or restructure their future. That, or they must make amends with Brown after he’s been a topic of trade discussions for months now.

Norman Powell leaves Heat for Bulls

MIAMI (AP) — Add Norman Powell to the list of this past season’s All-Stars who are changing addresses this summer in NBA free agency.

Powell has agreed to a two-year deal that could be worth up to $45 million with the Chicago Bulls, a person with knowledge of the talks said Wednesday. Powell also had received some interest from the Detroit Pistons, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be finalized until July 6 at the earliest.

ESPN and Chicago Sports Network were among those who first reported the agreement between Powell and the Bulls, who will hold a team option for 2027-28. Powell spent this past season in Miami, where he became an All-Star for the first time and averaged 21.7 points in 58 games with the Heat.

Miami will have a very different look this coming season, after the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade that sent Tyler Herro and others to Milwaukee. Powell will be joining his fifth team, after past stints with Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto and the Heat.

Kawhi Leonard is headed back to Toronto

The Los Angeles Clippers are finalizing a trade to send Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, where he won the 2019 NBA title.

The deal came hours ahead of the league’s free-agency period opening and will send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), a first-round swap (2027) and two second-round choices (2030, 2033) to Los Angeles, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The 35-year-old Leonard appeared in 65 games and looked like an MVP candidate when healthy, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He’s now paired with rising star Scottie Barnes on a team that won 46 games a year ago.

Meanwhile, the Clippers get younger, adding the 28-year-old Ingram to pair with 26-year-old guard Darius Garland, who was acquired last season in the James Harden deal.

Ingram averaged 21.5 points and 5.6 assists per game in 2025-26.

LeBron James says goodbye to the Lakers

Before NBA free agency officially opens at 3 p.m. MST Tuesday, and it is unsurprising that the star spanning the last three decades is front and center.

LeBron James will enter free agency having told the Lakers to move on without him, his agent told multiple reporters.

The 41-year-old averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds over 60 games for Los Angeles in 2025-26.

Thank you, LeBron 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/SW910ZVqSu

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 30, 2026

Signs point to the Golden State Warriors being in front of the line to pursue the all-time great after Draymond Green didn’t pick up a player option that gives the team some maneuverability to add a player like James.

NBA reporter Chris Haynes adds the Cleveland Cavaliers — where James has spent two stints and won one title — are interested in a reunion as well.

James isn’t the only big name potentially on the move. Kawhi Leonard trade rumors involving his Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors are percolating, while restricted free agent Jalen Duren is meeting with teams not named the Detroit Pistons, setting up a potential big-money sign-and-trade.

Check back for the latest NBA news and updates leading into free agency on Tuesday or visit our Phoenix Suns section for team-specific updates.

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