The Celtics’ decision to trade Jaylen Brown didn’t exactly come as a surprise, given that the rumors had been circulating since the team’s failed bid for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, the choice to send the 10-year Celtics veteran and former Finals MVP to an inter-division rival for what is seen as a relatively light return sent a massive ripple across the league.

For Bill Chisholm, who has only owned the team for a year and a half, the potential move was one fraught with downsides and question marks, but he was convinced by president Brad Stevens and the Celtics’ front office, whom he called “the best brains in basketball,” Robby Kalland writes for CBS Sports.

“I truly believe we have the best front office in the NBA, and I think it’s a source of advantage for us every day. So I definitely have a level of trust in Brad and his team,” Chisholm said. “But man, as a fan, that was tough. I really needed to be convinced to take the fan passion out of it, because I’m a super fan, was tough. I think you have to be a sociopath if you don’t worry a little bit about what other fans are going to think. And so, to put all that to the side and just do the job — step back and realize you have a responsibility to protect and advance the legacy of the Celtics.”

While the Celtics have maintained that this move will allow them to be more agile and flexible in terms of building out a contender around the hopefully-healthy Jayson Tatum moving forward, ownership is aware of the fact that this year will be crucial in terms of gathering intel and making the correct next steps forward. And if the Sixers manage to turn themselves into a real championship threat behind the play of Brown, the noise surrounding the trade will get even louder.

“I needed to be convinced, and that’s my job, but they did convince me, and we did it, and we did it with conviction,” he said. “And we’ll see where it goes, but we feel good about it. All that stuff is tough. It’s really tough.”

Chisholm added that he felt that the role Brown played, whether on the court, off the court, or in the community, was quite important to the team, and that the five-time All-Star’s presence will be missed around the franchise and the city.