Jayson Tatum said he still loves Jaylen Brown, his first extended public comment on the relationship since Boston traded him to Philadelphia for Paul George. The most productive lineup Boston ran last season, built around Brown, cannot take the floor in 2026-27, and camp opens with George auditioning for the vacancy.
Tatum called his connection with Brown unchanged.
Boston.com and MassLive both quoted Tatum saying he still loves Brown on September 17, the first substantial public comment either side has offered since the trade closed. Nothing in the coverage suggests contact beyond that sentiment, and no further exchange has been reported.
Last season's top lineup no longer has all five players available.
The Brown-White-Queta-Pritchard-Hauser group played 35 games last season and posted a net rating of +17.9, the best mark of any Celtics group sorted by minutes. Brown now plays for Philadelphia, so Joe Mazzulla opens camp needing a replacement alongside White, Queta, Pritchard and Hauser, with George the leading candidate.
The preseason schedule opens in Cleveland, the regular season in Detroit.
Boston opens preseason October 8 at the Cavaliers, then hosts the 76ers and the Hornets before closing at Philadelphia ahead of the regular season opener October 20 at the Pistons on NBC/Peacock. Tatum, recovering from a knee issue, has a return timeline pointing to October 1, ahead of every one of those dates.
Payroll leaves little room before the apron.
Boston's $201.4 million payroll sits above the $200.4 million luxury tax line and is closing on the $209.0 million first apron, with Tatum's $58.5 million and George's $54.1 million deals accounting for more than half of it. That ceiling shapes what Mazzulla can still change before opening night.
When do the Celtics play their first preseason game?
October 8 at Cleveland, the first of four preseason games before the October 20 regular season opener at Detroit on NBC/Peacock.
What did Jayson Tatum say about Jaylen Brown?
Tatum said he still loves Brown, according to Boston.com and MassLive coverage from September 17, his first extended comment on the relationship since Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George.
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