Former No. 2 Pick Thinks Jaylen Brown Ranks Higher Than Jayson Tatum in All-Time Celtics List

· Yahoo Sports

The Boston Celtics had a dynamic duo, but they decided to break it up and send one of their stars to another rival. Is Jayson Tatum more valuable than Jaylen Brown based on this decision?

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The Eastern Conference contenders shocked the NBA last July when they traded their 2024 Finals MVP to the Philadelphia 76ers. Brad Stevens called it a difficult decision and admitted that it hurt him to make the move.

Team owner William Chisholm felt the same way. He said he was a fan of Brown but explained that he trusts his front office and believes the decision was made with the team’s future in mind.

Brown was selected third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Tatum was also selected third overall, but a year later. Together, they turned the Celtics into perennial title contenders. They completed the job in 2024 when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

The 2025-26 season, however, was far from ideal. Tatum had to wait until March before he could return. That wasn’t much of a problem for coach Joe Mazzulla, though, as Brown took his game to another level, became an MVP candidate, and led the Celtics to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Brown’s time in Boston eventually came to an end when he was traded to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George and several draft picks

Oct 8, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) look on from the bench during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

 

Jaylen Brown eclipsed Jayson Tatum in terms of Celtics legacy

There have been constant discussions about who the real No. 1 player in Boston was: Brown or Tatum. The Celtics ultimately chose the latter.

Tatum may have the title of Celtics superstar, but when it comes to his standing within the organization’s history, don’t expect him to be ranked higher than Brown—at least according to one of Tatum’s draft-classmates.

Lonzo Ball sat down with his brothers on their podcast, where they discussed several topics, including Brown’s legacy with the Celtics after the team announced that they plan to retire his jersey one day.

Dec 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) and forward Matas Buzelis (14) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

The question was whether the Celtics made the right decision. The 2017 No. 2 overall pick agreed, but he took the conversation a step further by ranking some of the Celtics’ all-time greats. He mentioned several names but made sure to place Brown ahead of Tatum.

“The only two wings is better to him is Paul Pierce and Larry Bird. I was going to say Larry Bird. Larry and Paul. That’s him. Boom. So him? Tatum? He’s a little better than Tatum,” said Ball who last played in the NBA through the Cleveland Cavaliers.

An interesting take from Ball. The two are still at their peak and winning a title is still in the horizon for the pair. Brown might have a better chance this season though as the Sixers are regarded as a contender while the Celtics are starting over although they are seen as a playoff team.

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