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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Amid speculation about a feud with former Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown is also pushing back against reports that he privately requested a trade from the Celtics this offseason.
The reports originated from former NBA player Brian Scalabrine, now an NBC Sports Boston analyst, on his SiriusXM radio show, "The Starting Lineup." Scalabrine claimed that Brown privately "demanded to be traded" by the Celtics.
Brown was asked on Wednesday about these claims, which Scalabrine has since partially walked back.
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"I guess it is what it is. I saw that. You know, I saw Scal made some comments. I've never had any issues with Scal. I love Scal, but I guess he's doing what he has to do. I can understand why he feels the need to do that, but I have no interest of letting any false allegations follow me to my next chapter here in Philadelphia," Brown said.
"I never demanded a trade. Never made a list of ultimatums. None of the sort. None of that is true, but as of now, I'm gonna just stay focused on what's in front of me here in Philadelphia," he told reporters. "I've got a tremendous opportunity and I'm looking forward to that."
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Scalabrine's initial report on SiriusXM suggested that Brown had a list of trade demands, was pushing to be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, and had called other teammates about a potential trade. However, Brown's camp denied Scalabrine's claims, and Scalabrine has clarified his remarks.
"To be fair, after the 48 calls I've fended today and I listened, he technically didn't demand any trade," former Celtics player Scalabrine said on NBC Sports Boston on Monday, per USA Today's Celtics Wire.
"I just summed it all up. I summed up the entire word salad and kept it simple. But I think that's what got me in trouble," he said.
Scalabrine maintained that Brown had a list of demands, although he didn't know exactly what those were, but suggested it might have been related to the Celtics giving him an extension he was due at a certain point.
"I don't know what the ultimatum was or the demands or whatever it was," Scalabrine said. "So he technically did not demand to be traded. It was, 'Do these things right here or else.'"
A representative for Brown said that after the Celtics informed Brown he was being traded, his "only request was to have input on his destination."
It's unclear whether Brown truly wanted to go to Milwaukee, but so far, he's found himself in a more promising situation. The Celtics traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he is now teammates with All-Star players Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James.
The Bucks traded away their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, to the Miami Heat this offseason. So far, the new-look Bucks are 1-4 after losing by 32 points to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
Philadelphia is off to a hot start at 4-1 after coming back to defeat the Indiana Pacers, 114-109, on Wednesday night. Brown finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win for his new team.
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