3 Reasons Blazers Should Trade For Celtics Star Jaylen Brown

The Portland Trail Blazers are in the mix for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who could find himself traded this offseason after 10 years in Beantown.

The way Portland can acquire Brown is by acting as a third team in a trade that would send Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Boston Celtics. In a potential deal, the Bucks would send Antetokounmpo to Boston, the Celtics would send Brown to Portland and the Blazers would send prospects and Milwaukee's picks that were acquired in the Damian Lillard trade back to the midwest.

Here are three reasons why the Blazers should follow through and make a deal for Brown:

Brown Raises The Blazers' Ceiling

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Brown averaged 28.7 points per game this past season with the Celtics. Only Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic had a higher scoring average than Brown. It was the best year of the former No. 3 overall pick's decade in the NBA.

A big reason behind Brown's success had to do with Tatum's absence. Tatum missed most of the season recovering from a torn Achilles, allowing Brown to step up as the alpha on the court. There were questions about whether he could participate in this role at a high level, but he quelled those concerns early in the season.

Brown led the Celtics to the number two seed in the Eastern Conference, but their struggles to get out of the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers have given Boston questions about their future. Brown can be a top 10 player in the league if given the opportunity to shine, and he would help the Blazers tremendously in their pursuit at making a deep playoff run.

Adding a scorer like Brown to team up with Avdija could be exactly what the Blazers need to go from good to great.

While the price is hefty, trading for Brown would signal the Blazers' desire to be a consistent playoff team in the next couple of years. Brown is entering the third year of a five-year supermax contract that made him the highest-paid player in NBA history at the time.

A Brown trade would also eliminate concerns some have over Tom Dundon being a cheap owner after some questionable decisions earlier in his tenure.

He signed a five-year, $285 million contract with the Celtics in 2023 and becomes a free agent at the end of the 2028-29 campaign. It's possible that the Blazers would sign him to an extension upon arrival, but adding him gives the Blazers a chance to truly compete against the top teams in the Western Conference until the end of the decade.

Brown Raises The Blazers' Floor

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey drives past Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

It's hard to imagine the Blazers not making the playoffs if they were to make this move. The Blazers were a fringe playoff team without Brown, but they could emerge as a surefire postseason participant with him on the roster.

The floor for the Blazers if they traded for Brown would be a first-round exit, which is exactly where they were this past season.

It would also be intriguing to see how Damian Lillard would play alongside Brown. The Blazers struggled to put enough talent around Lillard when he was in Portland for his first tenure, but Brown would be the best player he's played with in the Pacific Northwest.

Championship Experience is Invaluable

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Brown won the 2024 NBA Finals with the Celtics and has 142 playoff appearances throughout his career. This year marked the first time Brown did not make it out of the first round in his entire career with the Celtics, proving that he knows how to win when it matters most.

The Blazers showed in their playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs that they were not ready for the moment. They did not possess the playoff experience that was needed to compete with a team like the Spurs, who were built for the postseason much more than the Blazers.

Adding Brown to the mix will give the Blazers that necessary veteran leadership alongside Lillard that knows what it's like to compete in a deep playoff run. That foundation could set the Blazers up for success down the road, which is one of the hardest parts of putting together a championship roster.

Add us as a preferred source on Google