Newly minted $211.58 million Celtics forward set to take new role following Jaylen Brown’s controversial trade

Paul George didn't dodge the questions Tuesday when he sat down with Boston media for the first time since the trade that brought him from Philadelphia. Fans have spent the summer venting over the Celtics shipping out 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to land him, and George said he has heard every word of it. Rather than brush past the noise, he addressed it directly.Now paired with new arrivals Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, George is stepping into a retooled roster built around Jayson Tatum, who is still working back from a torn Achilles. How he fits next to Tatum, and whether his body cooperates, will shape Boston's season before it even opens.Paul George opens up on his new role in the CelticsThe $211.58 million forward isn't pretending the Brown trade was painless. Asked about the backlash from Celtics fans still mourning Brown's departure, George didn't push it aside. "It's fair to live with that emotion," he said, acknowledging what Brown meant to the city and the franchise.He was equally clear about what he isn't trying to do in Boston. George said he has no interest in replacing Brown or filling any perceived void. Instead, he framed himself as a complementary piece alongside Tatum, a co-partner rather than a second star competing for shots, pointing to his past experience sharing a backcourt with another marquee wing as proof the pairing can work.George opens up on his health statusHealth has hovered over George's arrival since the deal closed. His final two seasons in Philadelphia fell short of his usual production, with his scoring dropping below 20 points a game for the first time since an injury-shortened 2014-15 campaign.George said that stretch is behind him now, describing himself as fully recovered and back to feeling like himself heading into training camp after dealing with knee surgery and a run of physical setbacks with the Clippers and Sixers.George is ready to fit into the new Celtics rosterBoston didn't stop at George this offseason. Conley joined as a steadying veteran presence, set to back up Derrick White and Payton Pritchard as he enters his 20th season with his fourth team.Robinson left the champion Knicks to sign in Boston, though a personal matter kept him away from Tuesday's press conference. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the newcomers have already made an impression during offseason workouts, comparing the season ahead to a fresh coat of paint on the TD Garden floor. "Nobody's stepped on it. And now it's that year's team," Stevens said.Conley sees urgency in what he and George bring on day one. "It's two guys who haven't had a chance to win a championship," he said, framing that hunger as something that could reignite the rest of a roster that already has a title under its belt.Boston opens its season on October 20 against the Detroit Pistons, with a roster that looks nothing like the one that walked off the floor last spring.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.