Joe Mazzulla embracing Celtics’ new identity after Jaylen Brown trade

The Celtics know things will look different next season.

After trading longtime star Jaylen Brown to the rival 76ers, Boston enters a new era built around Jayson Tatum, Paul George and a handful of veteran additions. Coach Joe Mazzulla admitted there has been a “grieving process” following Brown’s departure, but he also sounded eager to see what the team’s new faces can bring.

“We’re getting three guys back,” Mazzulla said, via Jay King of The Athletic. “One guy was a champion. So, we can leverage the experience that he had… and there’s two guys that haven’t (won a championship) yet. How can we leverage the hungriness or the desperation that they may have to try to get to that point?”

Boston landed George in the Brown trade before adding center Mitchell Robinson and veteran guard Mike Conley in free agency, giving the roster a much different feel than the one that reached six Eastern Conference finals and won the 2024 NBA title.

Mazzulla said those different experiences could prove valuable as the Celtics try to establish a new identity.

He also singled out Robinson, whose defense and rebounding helped the Knicks capture last season’s championship.

“Everyone’s going to talk about the offensive rebounding, but his defensive versatility and his pick-and-roll defense is good,” Mazzulla said. “We’ll be able to go to some different tactics because of that.”

The challenge now, Mazzulla said, is blending championship experience with players still chasing their first ring as Boston begins its next chapter.