The Boston Celtics will demand a massive draft haul in a trade for Jaylen Brown, but atleast one Western Conference contender has expressed interest in the blockbuster trade, according to a new report by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.
Boston’s reported demand only proves how highly the iconic franchise still values Brown, even as trade speculation continues to pursue the Celtics longtime star even after the team’s failed pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo as a pivotal offseason gets underway.
The Celtics are demanding teams give up at least four first-round picks in trade discussions for Brown, and the Portland Trail Blazers have emerged as a team with potential interest, as well as the draft capital to back it up, according to Charania’s report, which he revealed on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday morning.
GettyESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Trade Ask: 4 First-Round Picks
“Time will tell which side will bring the urgency to this matter this offseason,” Charania said on Get Up. Brown is committed to three more seasons on his supermax contract, giving the Celtics significant leverage in any deal negotiations.
Brown, a five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA Second Team selection, and the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, has been at the center of trade speculation for years. The most prominent episode came in 2023, when the Celtics were reported to have made him available during Damian Lillard discussions before Portland sent that deal to Milwaukee. Brown stayed, claimed the Finals MVP the following June, and now faces fresh uncertainty about his future with the franchise.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was noncommittal when pressed on Brown’s status following the 2026 NBA Draft.
“A big part of us,” Stevens called Brown, according to Charania, while declining to “predict the future” with regard to how long Brown would remain a Celtic.
The demand of four first-round picks is steep by any current market measure. But Brown’s three-year supermax commitment works in Boston’s favor. Unlike Antetokounmpo, who had one year left and wielded effective veto power over any destination, Brown gives a potential trading partner genuine long-term security.
Portland Trail Blazers Among Teams With Draft Capital for Jaylen Brown
| Possible Jaylen Brown Trade Destinations / Available Draft Assets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft Year | Portland Trail Blazers | OKC Thunder | Memphis Grizzlies | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2027 | 1st (own); 1st (via ORL, top-12 protected, acquired via MEM trade); 2nd (own); 2nd (via SAC); 2nd (via MIN) — note: HOU receives less favorable of POR/NOP 2nd if outside top-55 range | 1st (swap right with LAC — OKC keeps more favorable); 1st (via DEN, top-5 protected); 1st (via SAS, top-16 protected); 2nd (swap right with HOU/IND or MIA) | 1st (own); 2nd (own); multiple incoming 2nds from prior trades; 12 total future 1sts in stash through 2032 | 1st (via NYK); 1st (via PHI); own 1st subject to HOU swap right; 2nd (own); 2nd (via BKN-related incoming assets) |
| 2028 | 1st (own); 1st (swap right with MIL — from Damian Lillard trade); 2nd (via SAC, from MEM trade) | 1st (own); 1st (via MIL); 1st (via UTA); 2nd (own); 2nd (via MIL); 2nd (via UTA); 2nd (swap right with DAL) | 1st (via ORL, top-10 protected); 2nd (own — note: MEM 2nds owed to PHX from earlier deal) | 1st (own); 1st (via NYK, swap right); 1st (via PHI, top-8 protected); 2nd (via ATL); 2nd (via MEM) |
| 2029 | 1st (own); 1st (via MIL — Lillard trade); 1st (via BOS); 2nd (less favorable of IND/WAS 2nds, via NYK); owes 1st to Washington; keeps most and least favorable of three-pick pool | 1st (own); 1st (via DEN, conditional); 1st (via ATL); 1st (via MIA); 2nd (own); 2nd (via BOS); 2nd (via MIA) | 1st (own); 1st (swap right via ORL); 2nd (incoming from POR via prior trade) | 1st (own); 1st (via NYK); 2nd (via GSW); 2nd (via MEM) |
| 2030 | 1st (own); 1st (swap right with MIL — Lillard trade); own 2030 2nd traded away (Deni Avdija deal) | 1st (own); 1st (via DEN); 1st (via HOU); 1st (via MIA); 2nd (own); 2nd (via HOU); 2nd (via MIA) | 1st (via ORL); 1st (swap right via PHX — from 2023 trade); 2nd (own) | 1st (own); 1st (via NYK); 2nd (via BOS) |
| 2031 | 1st (own); 2nd (own) | 1st (own); 2nd (less favorable of ORL/NOP 2nds, via swap right) | 1st (own); 2nd (own) | 1st (own); 1st (via NYK); 2nd (own) |
Table reflects available draft pick data as of June 2026. Pick protections and conditional language are approximate; exact thresholds may shift with future trades. Sources: Bleacher Nation, Thunderous Intentions, SI.com, Wikipedia NBA Draft pages, ESPN.
“Portland has been a team that has interest in Jaylen Brown,” Charania said. “They had interest in LaMelo Ball. They had interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo. So they are a team that has a ton of draft capital. They’ve got a ton of young talent on this team.”
The Blazers, at least right now, control multiple firsts in 2027, 2028, and beyond, including an unprotected Orlando pick arriving in 2028, plus their own selections in 2029, 2031, and 2032.
Charania also flagged several other franchises as theoretical fits based on draft capital alone. The Memphis Grizzlies could project three first-round selections in 2027, accumulated through roster-reshaping deals. The Oklahoma City Thunder, widely regarded as holding the NBA’s deepest collection of future assets, project upward of 10 incoming firsts over the next several years. The Brooklyn Nets, despite a tangled picture of swaps and conditional rights, carry enough ammunition to enter serious discussions if interest develops.
None of those organizations have been confirmed as active suitors. The bulk of Boston’s trade conversations so far have centered on Western Conference teams, Charania reported. And with the offseason barely underway, the picture remains fluid, to say the least.
Celtics Demand Massive Draft Haul in Jaylen Brown Trade, New Report Says