Paul George’s first night in a Celtics uniform did more than put up numbers. It gave a pretty clear answer to a question that had been bouncing around the league ever since Boston landed him in the blockbuster deal for Jaylen Brown: why didn’t more teams, including the Portland Trail Blazers, go harder to get Brown?
Boston opened its season with a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons, but George was the bright spot. He poured in a game-high 38 points on 12-21 shooting, knocked down 7 of 12 from deep, and hit 7 of 8 at the line. He also added five rebounds, three assists and five steals.
The performance made one thing obvious fast - George didn’t arrive as a side piece in that trade. He looked every bit like the co-star Boston wanted next to Jayson Tatum, and maybe even more effective on this night. If that’s the level he brings regularly, then Boston’s asking price for Brown makes a lot more sense than it did when the deal first dropped.
That context matters for Portland. The Blazers were repeatedly floated as a possible Brown destination, and they did explore the possibility. In the end, though, they decided the price tag didn’t work for them, especially once their own analytics came into play.
The biggest issue was the money. Brown is due $57.1 million this season, and his contract runs through 2028-29, when it climbs to $65 million.
Under the new CBA, that kind of commitment is no small thing. Portland had to weigh whether Brown’s production and winning impact were enough to justify tying up that much salary.
It gets even trickier when Deni Avdija enters the picture. The Blazers would eventually need to renegotiate and then extend his contract, and adding Brown to the books would make that path far more complicated. Over the next three years, Brown would cost $183 million, and Portland ultimately decided that wasn’t a burden worth taking on for the extra talent.
Instead, the Blazers shifted to Ja Morant, a cheaper option on a shorter deal. Morant is making $42.2 million this season and $44.9 million next season, and that structure could even help Portland later if they decide to use his expiring contract as salary filler in a future star chase.
The price to get Morant was lighter too. Portland only had to give up Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, and the move was viewed as a buy-low play on a player who already seems to be responding well to a new environment in Portland.
Brown, meanwhile, was coming off an All-NBA Second Team season, which is part of why some fans were surprised George was the centerpiece Boston got back. But if George keeps producing anywhere close to what he showed in the opener, the Celtics may have pulled off a deal that looks better and better by the week.
And for Portland, that debut serves as a reminder that chasing Brown would have required a much bigger swing than many assumed. With Morant off to a strong start, the Blazers’ decision to go the cheaper route is looking pretty defensible.
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Blazers Suddenly Have A Backcourt Decision With Real Trade Stakes
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That is where Portlands guard logjam starts to matter. With Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson all in the same backcourt mix, the Trail Blazers have a roster setup that could draw attention before the trade deadline, especially from a team like Detroit searching for help on the ball. Portland does not have to move anyone right away, but its collection of proven guards gives rival front offices something to keep filing away as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]