Jaylen Brown was a trade candidate the Portland Trail Blazers had reportedly expressed interest in this offseason. The Boston Celtics surprisingly shipped him to their rival, the Philadelphia 76ers, instead.
Here's what they got in exchange:
- Paul George
- 2028 first-round draft pick
- 2031 first-round draft pick
- 2028 second-round draft pick
- 2030 second-round draft pick
Considering the Blazers were connected to Brown, it seemed like cheap value at the time. Something GM Joe Cronin could've easily outbid in the offseason splash many were anticipating under aggressive new owner Tom Dundon.
But after seeing George's Celtics debut, it's fair to wonder if the Blazers were looking at the wrong player in this deal.
Paul George was an overlooked Blazers trade target
The Celtics fell to the Detroit Pistons in their season opener, 121-113. But that wasn't because of the downgrade from Brown to George. He looked the part of a legitimate co-star alongside Jayson Tatum going forward.
George finished with 38 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals. And while you never want to overreact to one game, what is already apparent is how well George fits with Joe Mazzulla's style of offense.
That Mazzulla ball resulted in 42.1 three-point attempts per game last season, ranking fourth in the league. Surprisingly, it was the Blazers who finished ahead of them in third at 42.2 attempts per game. The issue is, Boston ranked top ten in efficiency while Portland was in the bottom five.
Boston doubled down on that strength by upgrading from Brown to George in the shooting department. Now Brown's 5.7 three-point attempts per game are all going to the more efficient George, playing even further into the hands of Mazzulla's strengths and vision for this roster.
George is already proving to be a great 3-and-D fit for the Celtics. Better yet, he looked the part of someone who knows his role. He provided secondary playmaking when needed, which included more heat checks, given how well he was shooting the ball in this contest. But for the most part, that seamless fit was due to George effectively spacing the floor and making that extra pass. That's the sustainable takeaway from George's hot shooting night.
Think about what the Blazers needed to add this offseason: a co-star for Deni Avdija, shooting, and wing depth. George would've checked all those boxes for Portland while also adding to that defensive identity.
Their loss is Boston's gain, as his two-way impact was immediately apparent in his Celtics debut. It's hard to say the Celtics "won the trade" because Brown's arrival in Philadelphia ultimately led to LeBron James' surprising free agency decision. But what is immediately apparent is how well George fits in Boston, leaving us to wonder why he wasn't on the list of potential trade targets for the Blazers this summer.
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