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Jaylen Brown is headed to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and future Draft picks.<\/p>\n
The NBA Mailbag is open with NBA legend and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford here to answer your questions during the 2026 NBA offseason.<\/p>\n
Have a question for Jamal? Submit it\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n How did it feel to be traded so many times? \u2013 from Leo in La Rioja, Spain<\/p>\n It\u2019s interesting because even though I played for nine teams, I was only traded three times (not counting sign-and-trades because I obviously agreed to those). I was drafted by Chicago, then I signed with New York, even though it was labeled a sign-and-trade. Then I was traded from New York to Golden State, so that was the first trade. Then the Warriors traded me to the Hawks for the second trade. Then I signed with Portland, signed with LA, and then I was traded from the Clippers back to the Hawks. From there, I signed as a free agent with Minnesota, Phoenix and Brooklyn.<\/p>\n So yeah, most people would see nine teams and think, \u201cOh, he got traded everywhere.\u201d I would even think that if I didn\u2019t know about myself.<\/p>\n But you would rather get traded in the summer than in the season. During the summer, it\u2019s like, \u201cOkay, I have time to process it. My family has time to move. We can actually take time to adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n In the season, it\u2019s hectic. You basically have 48 to 72 hours to report to your new team, no matter what. You have to immediately learn a new city and new roles. So I\u2019m blessed that I was only traded once during the season. It was one of my worst fears, and that\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve ever said that.<\/p>\n When I got traded during the season, it was the New York to Golden State deal. Zach Randolph and I were both leading the team in scoring at about 20 per game. It was the best start at that time for the Knicks in the last 10 years. We thought we were both going to make the All-Star team.<\/p>\n The night before the trade, John Thompson did an interview with Mike D\u2019Antoni on TNT and he was like, \u201cJamal may average 25 for us.\u201d That interview played on TV the next day, and I was traded that day while we were in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n I was shocked and literally lying in my bed looking at the wall thinking, \u201cThis can\u2019t be true.\u201d I was there for all the bad stuff with the Knicks, and I wanted to be there when things were good, but I never got the chance. I stayed in New York until literally the 71st hour since Golden State was on an East Coast trip, so I met up with them on the road. It was a hectic time.<\/p>\n Was it hard to choose your team in free agency? \u2013 from Colby in Irasburg, VT<\/p>\n Yeah, I\u2019m an overthinker by nature, so choosing teams during free agency was a process.<\/p>\n I would get a bunch of opinions. I would talk to my wife, my friends, people who played for certain coaches, and lived in certain cities. Then it became more difficult as our kids started getting older because now they had a friend group and routine that you want to maintain. You\u2019re also factoring in the length of the deal and the possibility of another move having to come a year later.\u00a0<\/p>\n It became a little easier towards the end because I had fewer options, but it was still a pros and cons situation for every team.<\/p>\n So it took some overthinking on some days, but eventually you feel good about a situation and make the decision.<\/p>\n In your opinion, who has had the best offseason so far? \u2013 from Blair in Kyle, TX<\/p>\n I\u2019ll go with an obvious choice and say the New York Knicks. They waited 53 years for the title. Now they can really enjoy being champs this offseason. The city is so excited. You saw the parade and everything they did to celebrate. You had Fat Joe and Jadakiss making videos while on the float. Ben Stiller was shooting special footage that hopefully will come out at some point. The energy is electric, and it should last all summer.<\/p>\n So I would say they\u2019re having the best offseason to start. After them, I\u2019ll go with Miami adding Giannis to pair alongside Bam.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Chasing History: 2026 NBA Finals<\/p>\n The Knicks hold off the Spurs in five games to win the 2026 NBA Finals, narrated by Jamal Crawford.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your reaction to the Giannis trade to Miami? \u2013 from Kirubell in Toronto, Ontario<\/p>\n Shocking. I thought it was a joke. I didn\u2019t expect him to be traded to an Eastern Conference contender without them giving up their best player. I didn\u2019t think it was possible, but everything\u2019s possible in this new era.<\/p>\n When you can get two players like Giannis and Bam together, you have to give it a shot. They may not be the perfect fit to start, and I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be a work in progress. But Pat Riley has the vision, and Spo is one of the greatest coaches in the modern era. So I think they\u2019ll figure it out.<\/p>\n Do you think that LaMelo and Anthony Edwards will be an all-time duo? \u2013 from Asher in Arkansas<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure if they\u2019ll be an all-time duo, but they\u2019ll be an all-time must-see TV type of duo. They are going to be so fun to watch. They\u2019re two of the most exciting young players in the league; they both have each other\u2019s respect, and they actually are a perfect fit. LaMelo is a pure point guard. Yeah, he can score, run off buckets, shoot all these threes, but he\u2019s the perfect person to play with Ant. And neither of them has ever played with a guard like this.<\/p>\n And you can tell, maybe secretly or loudly, they\u2019re fans of each other\u2019s games. Whenever two guys like that get together, it always makes things more fun, exciting, and must-see. So I can\u2019t wait to watch.<\/p>\n What do you think of the Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade? \u2013 from Seth in Florida<\/p>\n If Giannis to Miami was the most shocking, this deal was absolutely the second-most shocking. There had been rumblings and a feeling that the Brown-Celtics partnership was coming to an end.<\/p>\n I just didn\u2019t think the deal would go like that. And no disrespect to Paul George, because he\u2019s a great player. But again, just like Giannis to Miami, a trade inside the conference, and in this case, to a team that just eliminated you in the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n So the trading partner being Philly was more shocking than the deal itself.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n NBA TV breaks down how Jaylen Brown could fit in with the 76ers.<\/p>\n What is the most important lesson you learned from a veteran when you were a rookie? \u2013 from Braxton in Melbourne, Australia<\/p>\n A couple of things. One was that there\u2019s a difference between being a professional NBA player and being a pro. A professional is your job title. Being a pro is doing everything the right way and taking your job to the next level as far as professionalism.\u00a0<\/p>\n The second one was from Jalen Rose a long time ago, and I\u2019ll never forget it. He was like, \u201cNBA players have to have discipline in the summer.\u201d I\u2019m like, \u201cWhy?\u201d And he explained how you have your money and no team responsibilities. You don\u2019t have a set routine or practice schedule, and that\u2019s when problems can arise. So I was careful in the summers and made sure to establish a productive routine.\u00a0<\/p>\n When you were a veteran, did you ever attend Summer League games? Are there specific things vets are looking at when watching the incoming rookies? \u2013 from Mason in Portland, OR<\/p>\n I did it a couple of times. You\u2019re watching their pace and seeing if they get sped up. You\u2019re watching to see if physicality bothers them. And you\u2019re just noticing if they have confidence.<\/p>\n It\u2019s one thing to play against college players, but now you\u2019re playing against some younger NBA guys, but also guys who are fighting for their basketball lives and fighting for another opportunity. So that\u2019s a different energy you have to find a way to match.<\/p>\n So you\u2019re looking for different things. You\u2019re not looking for guys to score 30 just because they\u2019re a top Draft pick. You\u2019re looking at their swagger and how they play, and not necessarily trying to see if they can score 30. The better question is, can they get to those spots where they could have scored 30? You\u2019re looking at little details like that.<\/p>\n Which Summer League player has impressed you the most so far? \u2013 from X<\/p>\n Darryn Peterson. And that\u2019s an obvious choice, but what\u2019s impressed me isn\u2019t his scoring, because I\u2019ve watched him enough to know his scoring can translate anywhere. The bigger surprise for me was seeing him get 12 assists. I didn\u2019t know he could see the game in that way. To his credit, he said he was a point guard. I still don\u2019t know if he\u2019s necessarily a full-time point guard, but it\u2019s good to know he can see the floor and make those kinds of reads and plays for his teammates.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Darryn Peterson dazzles with 25 points and 12 assists in a Summer League win vs. the Grizzlies.<\/p>\n What do you think about Wemby learning to use the skyhook as a weapon? \u2013 from Barry in Fayetteville, NC<\/p>\n It\u2019s funny; I\u2019ve heard people talk about that. Of course, I could see it as a weapon for him. By the time he shot it after he jumped, it would be like an 11-foot shot.<\/p>\n That said, I don\u2019t think it would be a weapon he should depend on all the time. If I were him, I would continue to get stronger and continue to not only embrace physicality, but to initiate it.<\/p>\n That would be a game-changer because then all his skills could be unlocked on the other side of that. Once he\u2019s more physical, his shooting and dribbling skills will flow together even more.<\/p>\n The skyhook could be unstoppable, but knowing him and his creativity, I don\u2019t think he would want to rely on just one shot.\u00a0<\/p>\n You\u2019ve played in the most structured NBA offenses and the most chaotic, free-flowing streetball games. If you had to pick one unwritten rule or piece of \u2018playground etiquette\u2019 that you wish every modern NBA player brought to the league, what would it be? \u2013 from Kiyen in Springfield, MA<\/p>\n I would say the proper etiquette between both things is playing the right way.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t care if you play at a slower pace or a faster pace. Structured or unstructured. No matter what, you\u2019re looking for an advantage. When that advantage arises, you take advantage. It\u2019s the same in the NBA or pickup. The open man gets the ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n Too many players try to get in their bag in the summer. Like, \u201cLet me show you what I can do. If I can take 57 dribbles and make a fadeaway, that\u2019s impressive.\u201d No, it\u2019s not. Very few people in the world can do that, and only 5% of them in the NBA are even allowed to dribble like that, so let\u2019s act like we\u2019re the other 95%.<\/p>\n What was it like to watch your son play for Team USA? \u2013 from Jake in Chicago, IL<\/p>\n A surreal experience. It was crazy just to see him make the final 18, with him playing two classes up. It went from 90 players to 65 to 36 to 18 to 14 to the final 12.<\/p>\n He made it from 18 to 14. Then there was a final scrimmage against the Air Force college men\u2019s basketball team. This was going to help decide who would go from 14 to 12. He didn\u2019t start and subbed in during the 2nd quarter. He missed his first shot, and then he scored 11 points in six minutes. I said, \u201cI think he\u2019s going to make the team.\u201d That was the first time I thought that. Then they made the cuts the next morning, and he made the team.<\/p>\n So seeing him do that, and then go on to win a gold medal in Turkey with people chanting his name in a place we\u2019ve never been, it was otherworldly. There are so many layers to it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Fans in Turkey chant JJ Crawford\u2019s name during the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup (Video courtesy of Jamal Crawford).<\/p>\n With the year he\u2019s had, it\u2019s insane. I just thank God for it because it\u2019s such a blessing for all these opportunities.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffe https:\/\/t.co\/afsEao2amz<\/a><\/p>\n