- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,212,970
- Reaction score
- 59
Before the Portland Trail Blazers swung a blockbuster deal for former Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, they nearly stole Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics before the Philadelphia 76ers had a chance to.
Courtesy of Brett Siegel over at ClutchPoints, Portland "had a deal on the table" with Boston.
In the proposal, the Blazers would've sent over Jerami Grant — just as they did for Morant — "presumably" Scoot Henderson and future draft capital.
Of course ... Brad Stevens and the Celtics instead made a move for Paul George, two first-rounders (2028, 2031) and two second-rounders (2028, 2030), which has been heavily criticized online and within the media.
And for good reason. No disrespect to George, but that package is bad. Like, really bad.
It's not controversial to say that Boston would've been better off sending Brown to Rip City while gaining Portland's valuable Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick and Henderson, a former No. 3 overall draft pick.
Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Blazers were the "frontrunner" to give Stevens the four first-rounders that the Celtics were after.
But there's a reason why Stevens didn't do that.
Brown didn't want to be in Portland, as Siegel reported.
That development isn't great from an optics standpoint, especially since Giannis Antetokounmpo held ... similar... feelings.
Now, that doesn't eliminate any potential for future stars becoming attracted to the possibility of wearing a Blazers uniform.
But it certainly doesn't help their chances of doing so anytime soon.
In fairness to Portland, this isn't exactly a new problem.
For decades, small-market franchises have fought an uphill battle when attempting to lure established stars away from glamour destinations or larger media markets.
Winning can level the playing field ... but endorsement opportunities and lifestyle preferences still matter in these conversations.
That's part of what made the Morant acquisition so significant for the Blazers. Rather than waiting for a superstar to choose Portland in free agency, the organization went out and got one.
And the same can be said for Damian Lillard's return.
If the Blazers are going to build a championship roster in this era, it may have to come through aggressive trades, savvy drafting and internal development rather than marquee free-agent signings.
And honestly, that's fine.
The formula has worked before in Portland.
The question now is whether enough winning can eventually change the perception that appears to have cost the franchise a legitimate shot at landing Brown.
Continue reading...
Courtesy of Brett Siegel over at ClutchPoints, Portland "had a deal on the table" with Boston.
In the proposal, the Blazers would've sent over Jerami Grant — just as they did for Morant — "presumably" Scoot Henderson and future draft capital.
Of course ... Brad Stevens and the Celtics instead made a move for Paul George, two first-rounders (2028, 2031) and two second-rounders (2028, 2030), which has been heavily criticized online and within the media.
And for good reason. No disrespect to George, but that package is bad. Like, really bad.
It's not controversial to say that Boston would've been better off sending Brown to Rip City while gaining Portland's valuable Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick and Henderson, a former No. 3 overall draft pick.
Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Blazers were the "frontrunner" to give Stevens the four first-rounders that the Celtics were after.
But there's a reason why Stevens didn't do that.
Brown didn't want to be in Portland, as Siegel reported.
That development isn't great from an optics standpoint, especially since Giannis Antetokounmpo held ... similar... feelings.
Now, that doesn't eliminate any potential for future stars becoming attracted to the possibility of wearing a Blazers uniform.
But it certainly doesn't help their chances of doing so anytime soon.
In fairness to Portland, this isn't exactly a new problem.
For decades, small-market franchises have fought an uphill battle when attempting to lure established stars away from glamour destinations or larger media markets.
Winning can level the playing field ... but endorsement opportunities and lifestyle preferences still matter in these conversations.
That's part of what made the Morant acquisition so significant for the Blazers. Rather than waiting for a superstar to choose Portland in free agency, the organization went out and got one.
And the same can be said for Damian Lillard's return.
If the Blazers are going to build a championship roster in this era, it may have to come through aggressive trades, savvy drafting and internal development rather than marquee free-agent signings.
And honestly, that's fine.
The formula has worked before in Portland.
The question now is whether enough winning can eventually change the perception that appears to have cost the franchise a legitimate shot at landing Brown.
Continue reading...
