A new blockbuster trade proposal has the Celtics finally cutting ties with five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown, dealing the 2024 NBA Finals MVP to Portland for a $160 million veteran along with a massive package of draft assets.
The proposed deal would reshape Boston’s roster around Jayson Tatum and its remaining core while giving the Celtics an established veteran and a huge draft haul in return for the two-time All-NBA second-teamer.
Jaylen Brown Trade Framework With Trail Blazers
Nick Cattles, host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast and a Boston-market radio veteran with past stops at 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI, laid out what he had heard about Brown trade talks in a pair of social media posts on Sunday. He noted that Portland appears to be the most likely destination for Brown if a deal gets done.
The Celtics are targeting a young big and draft capital in any deal involving Brown. Portland possesses both in Donovan Clingan and a substantial stockpile of future picks. But the Trail Blazers would reportedly rather keep Clingan and have not yet placed wing Toumani Camara on the table. Portland would rather move shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe and point guard Scoot Henderson than part with their most prized young assets.
“They should be able to meet in the middle, IF they’re both motivated,” Cattles wrote.
In a follow-up post, Cattles sketched a specific deal he described as one that “would make sense.” Under that framework, Boston would receive Jerami Grant, Sharpe, and Clingan plus three future first-round picks — a 2028 Milwaukee pick, a 2029 Boston pick returning to the franchise from the 2023 trade that acquired Jrue Holiday from the Trail Blazers, and a 2031 Portland selection. Portland would acquire Brown and 2023 Celtics second-round pick Jordan Walsh. The salary math gives Boston a net advantage of approximately $4.7 million, as calculated by Cattles.
Celtics’ Asking Price and Portland’s Position
Brown, who turns 30 in October, posted the best statistical season of his career in 2025-26, 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 71 games. Brown owns a supermax contract that comes with a 2026-27 salary of $57,078,728, with three years and approximately $183 million remaining, according to HoopsHype.
Brown did not request a trade. Boston has been fielding calls while holding an asking price as high as four first-round picks in some conversations, according to HoopsHype. Portland emerged as the most aggressive suitor among a group that also includes the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons. New ownership in Portland is motivated to acquire a proven star, and the franchise’s deep draft capital and young roster give them the assets to compete, according to Boston.com.
Clingan, the 7-foot-2 center taken seventh overall in 2024 out of UConn, averaged 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in 2025-26, according to Basketball Reference. Sharpe, the No. 7 overall pick in 2022, signed a four-year, $90 million extension with Portland in October 2025, according to NBA.com.
No deal is on the table, at least not according to public media reports. The Cattles framework reflects a middle-ground structure, one that asks Portland to surrender Clingan while trimming the pick demand from four to three, with the third selection being Boston’s own pick returning, a concession designed to make the offer more palatable for Portland’s front office.
Jaylen Brown Trade Pitch Lands Celtics $160 Million Veteran Plus Huge Draft Haul