Carmelo Anthony Details Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum's 'Final' Interaction Before Celtics-76ers Trade

In late June, before Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, both he and Jayson Tatum attended the Cannes Sports Beach Event after-party.

But according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe , Brown—who was on the trade block at the time—reportedly asked to be seated at a VIP table with Carmelo Anthony after being informed that Tatum was also at the event.

"I thought [Brown] felt awkward about something going on," Anthony said. "He didn't know what was going on at the time. I know JT was on the other side. I know Jaylen [wanted to speak with Jayson] but he didn't know what to do. I just told him, 'Why don't you just go over there to JT?' "He was like, 'Man, I don't know where we are at. Do you mind if I just stay here?' I was like, 'Of course.'"

The disconnect between Brown and Tatum has continued since the trade. Tatum has insisted that he was in the dark regarding the deal. Brown pushed back on that assertion, eventually saying that Tatum has a "great PR team" and noting that there's "no beef" between the pair but there "might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times."

Washburn reported that the Celtics treated Tatum like the definitive franchise cornerstone and it caused some tension between Brown and the organization, even after it was Brown who was the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP during the team's 2023-24 championship season. The team took longer to negotiate a max contract with Brown when he was eligible for one than they did with Tatum. The organization didn't love the profile of his on-court analytics and felt that there was an "increasing lack of on-court chemistry" between Brown and Tatum, that the duo had become "a relic."

Brown's case for earning a bit more respect throughout the years was only bolstered when he led the Celtics to a 56-26 record last season while Tatum recovered from a torn Achilles and had a career year (28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.1 APG).

But even if the Celtics had internally decided they wanted to focus building the team around Tatum, the starring duo likely could have pushed to stay together.

As Washburn wrote, "Ideally, the superstars could have discussed their future together in Boston and perhaps made a pact to take less money so the team could afford a stronger supporting cast. That discussion never happened. According to multiple sources, Brown and Tatum were asked to talk about their roles and partnership before Tatum returned from his Achilles injury in March. They were left alone in a room to talk, but it remains unclear what was said and whether it had any impact on their relationship."

And that is perhaps where Brown doesn't fully buy Tatum's assertion that he was in the dark about the eventual trade. While Washburn noted that the "Celtics' front office did not keep Tatum informed on the Brown trade talks" and that it's the organization's "philosophy that star players should not be involved in personnel decisions involving teammates," plenty of rumors about Brown being on the trade block were swirling about. If Tatum pushed hard to keep Brown in Boston it would have carried at least some weight.

But as Washburn wrote, "The fact Tatum stayed out of it appeared to make Brown more isolated."

It's all a moot point now. Brown's Sixers are 9-2 and he's quickly carved out a role for himself as a secondary scorer behind Tyrese Maxey and a defensive presence on the wing. The Celtics are right behind them in the standings at 8-2, with Paul George playing a complementary role behind Tatum.

But when the two teams meet for the first time in the regular season on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, there will be a charge in the air. The animosity between the longtime rivals was already high, especially after the Sixers eliminated the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last season, and the subplot between Brown and Tatum has undoubtedly raised the stakes.