By TERRY LYONS
BOSTON – It was very hot this week in Boston. In fact, most of the nation was hot, humid and quite still. There were some thundershowers and there was a full moon, too, a Strawberry Moon. When there’s a full moon, people get weird. Strange things happen – usually bad things – the kind of things you regret when the moon sets and the sun rises.
For the full moon of July 1, 2026 – it’ll be four parts regret and no parts forget. It was a bad day in Boston Celtics history. It wasn’t Strawberries & Cream, it was reverse Red (Auerbach) and Creamed. It was trading in your Rolex to a guy in an alley with a vest full of Patek Philippe knock-offs. It was trading in your Bentley Continental GT Convertible for a broken-down 2014 Ford Taurus, a car – up on blocks with no wheels.
This trade reminded you of that guy in your fantasy football league who trades Josh Allen for Mac Jones and Nick Folk, and he thinks he got the best of the deal. It was like turning down a romantic dinner-for-two in Vegas with Julia Roberts for a last row show ticket to see Weird Al Yankovic in Reno.
It was so bad, the Celtics might have to bring in Nico Harrison to blame for suggesting the trade heard ‘round the Commonwealth.
Trade?
No, it was more like a smash and grab.
In the deal, the 76ers received:
- Jaylen Brown, second team All-NBA and No. 6 in the MVP voting
The Celtics took a door prize which included:
- Paul George, 36 year old, drafted in 2010, but 9x NBA All-Star
- 2028 first-round pick* with contingencies
- 2031 first-round pick (via PHI)
- 2028 second-round pick (best of GSW/OKC/MIL)
- 2030 second-round pick (best of WAS/POR/PHX)
Add-ons, the Celtics get:
- Two tickets to see “No, No Nanette” at The Wilbur
- A box of Mike’s Pastries from the North End
- Two tickets to NBA Cup finale at Hinkle Fieldhouse
- $25 gift card for WaWa
- $50 coupon good for Cheesesteaks at Jim’s (South Street)
As of the 4th of July, speculation was that Celtics GM Brad Stevens had a “Plan B” in his back pocket, some other move to be made to make sense of the nonsensical deal to ship Brown down the Schuylkill River. The transactions for the start of the 2026-27 season can’t be announced until July 6 at Noon when teams can officially sign contracts under the guise of the 2026-27 Team Salary rules.
Thoughts, please? Any ideas? We’re all ears.
It wasn’t as much as realizing the Celtics dealt Brown, it was the fact they took so little in return.
Maybe it’s retribution by the Sixers to make up for the ill-fated 2017 swap of draft picks that the club used to draft Markelle Fultz at No. 1 while Danny Ainge, GM of the Celtics, got his man – Jayson Tatum – at No. 3, anyway.
Are the Sixers righting the wrong of the 1968 and 1981 Playoffs when the Celtics came back from 3-to-1 game deficits to win a pair of important playoff series vs. Philly?
No.
This is the cold, new reality of the ultimate in salary dumps, the dark backbone of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement which drives the league’s entire set of basketball-related operations.
Brown was on the Celtics’ books for three more seasons at some $185 million, and the club was bound to extend him one more year come July 27. Paul George has two years at $114.3m (approx. $54 and $56m). By doing the deal, it saved the Celtics $71m plus another $142m over two additional years that the extension would provide. Now, the Sixers will need to negotiate that extension. At the end of the fray, that’s $213m the Celtics will keep in their coffers, or utilize to sign other free agents.
Yes, in the end, it’s all about the math and money, not the players. It’s the (possible) move backwards before (potentially) moving forward. Pay them now, or pay them later? Brad Stevens is at the poker table called the “Summer of ‘26.”
Note: Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and the team’s Lead club Owner and Governor Bill Chisholm will meet the media on Monday, July 6 at 4:00pm (EDT).
This season, there’s no 4th of July “invitation only” cookout and meet & greets for teams to line up at the East Hampton (LI) digs of a Kevin Durant. There was no long line outside of LeBron James’ door, not any “The Decision” TV specials.
The Boston vs Miami for a trade for the services of Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was the highlight of the off-season. Whatever James decided to do will be a great story for the one city/team he chooses. Most of the NBA will shrug at the news, wishing him well and awaiting the release of the 2026-27 NBA schedule to circle the date for a rocking chair presentation, a la Dr. J (Julius Erving) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar).
For James, who is being courted by Golden state, Cleveland and, now, Philly, I’ll put my money on Cleveland being the final destination, as he’ll look to come full circle and have a legitimate chance to compete with a contender for the 2027 NBA title. No other city really makes sense for LeBron’s swan-song departure from the NBA at this point in time. If Philly steps up, gets James at a veteran’s minimum or some other salary cap exception, it’ll raise eyebrows in New York, San Antonio and Oklahoma City, a.k.a. “The Teams to Beat.”.
One thing is for sure. James will retire from active NBA play as one of the all-time greats, to be compared to Michael Jordan or Elgin Baylor or Oscar Robertson, or even to the greats of the 80s – Dr. J, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, or even to the great centers like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar.
If James can carry a team to the 2027 NBA Finals and earn another title, he might be placed on top of that glorious list.
HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s a great series of features of the “The USA’s Top Ten Sports Moments) (over 250 years) and it’s been posted on Substack at a pace of “one a day” leading up the the 4th by author Adam Steinmetz.
One peek is a quote about Larry Bird’s participation for the USA in Portland, Monte Carlo and Barcelona: “Larry was the ultimate teammate. He affected the game just by being in the huddle, and it was very obvious. They didn’t need any rah-rah, but his presence was very noticeable.”
One of the very best editions of the Top Ten is the 4th of July entry about the great Lou Gehrig. Says Steinmetz, “Four score and seven years ago, on this exact date in 1939, a great American delivered one of the most famous speeches in the 250-year history of the United States. His opening line reverberated beyond baseball. His speech echoed beyond sports.
“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” – Gehrig
Born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig in 1903, Gehrig, along with Babe Ruth, became one of the greatest baseball players (and athletes) the game had ever seen. So sadly on May 2, 1939, Gehrig took himself out of the New York Yankees’ line-up and ended a record 2,130 consecutive games played streak (it was since passed by Cal Ripken – 2,632). Gehrig was later diagnosed with the fatal Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known to most as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37.
ESPN COVERAGE OF WIMBLEDON: Serena Williams’ first round loss to Maya Joint averaged 1.8 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday afternoon, helping the network to an average of 937,000 for the full day of coverage — up 55% from last year. It was the network’s most-watched opening round Wimbledon telecast on record. The full opening round, which included Monday’s play, was the most-watched openers on record with an average of 734,000 fans tuning into ESPN’s coverage from England. The last time Williams played in any Grand Slam tournament prior to this year was at the U.S. Open in 2022.
ESPN’s decision to have John McEnroe in the broadcast bunker/booth is the key to the men’s bracket coverage and the anchor to the entire production. Maybe ESPN suits should consider McEnroe as a pairing with Mike Breen (and Jay Bilas) for NBA coverage?
TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) announced the closing of a $100 million Series E financing round led by Ares and Joe Tsai, representing the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse. According to a news release issued by the PLL, the round included a subsequent minority equity investment from ESPN, along with investments from actor, writer and producer Glen Powell, Co-chairman of Wrexham A.F.C, actor and producer Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney), country music singer and songwriter Warren Zeiders, and actor Tony Cavalero. As part of the financing, Co-Head of Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment, Jim Miller, will join the PLL’s Board of Directors.
FIBA U-17 BASKETBALL WORLDS: Although overshadowed by the FIFA World Cup tournament, FIBA is staging its World Cup for Under-17 years old Men in Istanbul. The USA defeated Australia, 114-65, to advance to the gold medal game. In the quarter Final game, Türkiye’s Omer Kutluay poured in 30 points to go with 11 assists and two rebounds in a 94-87 win over France to reach the Semi-Finals. Kutluay, son of former NBAer Abrahim (Seattle Sonics), did not commit a single turnover despite being the focal point of France’s aggressive defense. Omer Kutluay was previously signed by Real Madrid to play for their junior level club. With his U-17 age, he is prime material to be signed by a USA college program. … Serbia defeated Türkiye, 76-71, to advance to the final vs. USA (Sunday, 13:15, local).
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: Why? We do not know.
- What ever happened to white wall tires?
- The two squirrels that live in the trees by our home are nuts. They run around like crazy animals, chasing each other for no reason – Squirrel ZOOMIES!
- Our dog(s) do not bark, nor care about squirrels. They prefer to bark at other dogs and people.
- You knew Canada’s World Cup hopes were limited when there was no player named Guy Lafleur on the roster.
- How can the PGA Tour completely re-do their schedule and not place a tournament at TPC Boston (like the good olde days of the DeutschBank Championship (DBC), Northern Trust and the FedEx Cup Playoffs)?
- When we toast bread, it’s just “Toast.” But, if we’re talking about bagels, it’s a “toasted bagel,” and not Toast.” … Which brings this post about “Toast” to its key point. Why, when something is done, over, useless, defeated, is it “Toast?”
- Why doesn’t FIFA lay down a red line and two blue lines for Offsides?
- Why don’t MLB teams have a top of the 4th inning stretch well ahead of the traditional 7th inning stretch? Everyone definitely needs a stretch before the middle of the 7th.
- Many of us aspire to compete on Jeopardy! – the great American television game show that tests knowledge in broad areas of concern. Now get this: FOX television is now proudly promoting the Nation’s Dumbest, a new reality competition show. The goal of contestants on the show is to lose. Figures.
PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: And, you ‘all thought I’d go with “Saturday in the Park” by Chicago. The answer is – No.
- Since I attended two Goose concerts this week, did I see Goose or Geese?
- In case you didn’t know, Goose and Tedeschi Trucks Band are the two best and most talented bands touring this summer.
