ESPN's Shams Charania joined "Get Up" to discuss what could happen with Jaylen Brown this summer. By now, most fans know that the Portland Trail Blazers have been interested in Brown. Still, to hear Charania confirm on a national stage that Portland is still in the running for a star is a new one, considering how patient they've been throughout this rebuild.
"Portland has been a team that has shown interest in Jaylen Brown," Charania said. "They had an interest in LaMelo Ball. They had an interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo. So they are a team that has a ton of draft capital. They have a ton of young talent on this team. So could they make an offer?"
Charania adds that Giannis had no desire to come to Portland, which made it an unlikely landing spot, as he had leverage in essentially choosing his own destination with a player option next season. However, that wouldn't be the case with Brown, who is under contract for three more seasons.
Jaylen Brown is a realistic star trade target for Portland
Unfortunately, the smaller market Blazers are at a disadvantage when it comes to both attracting and retaining star talent. As a result, they are limited in what they can either pursue or offer if the star isn't already locked into a longer-term deal.
Of the three stars Charania has confirmed interest in from Portland, it's Brown who makes the most sense as the ideal fit. Now, it comes down to what Blazers GM Joe Cronin is actually willing to give up to make this blockbuster a reality.
More recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer also brought up Portland as "one of the few confirmed teams we have as an active and aggressive team pursuing Jaylen Brown." He mentions that Brown is a player Portland has long coveted, dating back to the Blazers' first Damian Lillard era, adding that the Celtics star is more available than ever.
Portland initially made sense as a trade destination for Brown had Boston won the Giannis sweepstakes. Everything appeared to be aligning for them as a facilitator, sending Milwaukee its picks back to come away with a star of their own on a longer deal.
Although Giannis is now officially in South Beach, there still appears to be a viable path for Portland to acquire Brown outright, which is encouraging.
What would the Blazers give up for Brown?
The majority of Blazers fans already knew Portland was connected to Brown, so perhaps the most important update is what Boston is expected to seek in return. Fischer believes that the Celtics would still be looking for win-now pieces to help them remain contenders, rather than picks and young players to retool.
The good news is that Portland is well-equipped to give Boston essentially anything they want, with a treasure trove of assets that includes picks, youth, and veterans.
The fact that they are one of the few teams with confirmed interest and are aggressively bidding bodes well for their chances of finally landing another star. That said, Cronin will have a challenging decision to make if Boston is seeking immediate contributors for their star.
Could that mean Toumani Camara or Donovan Clingan has to be included in the package? That remains to be seen, though it's a fair question given Brown's fit, contract, and Portland's readiness to finally accelerate this rebuild upon Damian Lillard's return.
Add us as a preferred source on Google