Bill Simmons has heard plenty of theories about why the Boston Celtics decided to trade Jaylen Brown this offseason, but one fan might have delivered the most entertaining explanation yet.
Speaking on his podcast, Simmons read a fan’s comparison that connected Brad Stevens‘ tenure as the Celtics president of basketball operations to Michael Corleone’s journey in The Godfather trilogy, and the analogy was rather surprisingly very detailed.
“Ryan H. says, ‘Here’s my worry. Brad Stevens is on a Michael Corleone arc. I’m afraid we’re in Part III.’ He says: ‘Part I: He reluctantly joins the family, the front office, and takes to it like a fish to water. Part II: He makes the tough but correct decisions, bringing the family to ultimate power. Removing Tom Hagen and his consigliere? That’s the Robert Williams III trade. Whacking Fredo? That’s the Marcus Smart trade.”
“‘All of it leads to the consolidation of the five families.’ Ryan’s on a heater. Don’t stop there. Then comes Part III. ‘Michael tries to take the family in a legitimate direction. That’s the second apron. And in the process, he loses a child because of all the maneuvering.’ That’s Jaylen Brown being moved prematurely after missing out on Giannis. That’s all I’ve got for now.”
As hilarious as the comparison was, it also hit some hard points, which shows Brad Stevens’ decision-making.
Over the past four years, Stevens has shown that he is not afraid to make a bold move, even if those decisions might not be emotionally acceptable. He traded Robert Williams III in spite of his upside to land Jrue Holiday. Stevens traded 2022 DPOY winner Marcus Smart to land Kristaps Porzingis in a shocking deal. Both moves were heavily mocked at first, but they helped the Celtics land the 2024 championship.
And because of that track record, Stevens has built enormous credibility. But this time, it feels different.
Brown was in the middle of his prime. He was arguably coming off the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while earning All-NBA Second Team honors and finishing sixth in MVP voting. Brown was only 29 years old and still had his best years yet to come.
But instead, the Celtics traded Brown to their rival Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, after their failed pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That sequence has left them wondering whether Stevens overplayed his hand.
The Celtics went after Giannis hard, with Brown as the centerpiece of that package. But the Celtics did not want to offer Giannis a three-year extension, and the Bucks ultimately decided to accept the Miami Heat’s offer instead. Once that deal died, the Celtics decided to move Brown but ended up accepting a sub-optimal offer from the Sixers after their outrageous demands pushed interested teams away.
Simmons has argued that the NBA’s second-apron rules are forcing championship teams into impossible decisions. Teams are now focusing on long-term flexibility over keeping their cores together.
And that is what makes the Godfather analogy so fitting.
In the movies, Michael Corleone slowly kills his relationships while looking after his family’s future. And right now, Stevens has earned himself a similar reputation. The first few moves worked out, but only time will tell if trading away Jaylen Brown was the right thing to do.
For now, Celtics fans are wondering which sequel Brad Stevens is still writing. He may be testing whether real life can follow a script that even The Godfather never dared to write.
