Boston Celtics Receive: G Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G Jaylen Brown, C Daniel Theis, 2024 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick
This potential offer is beneficial to both squads – Boston swaps a budding star for an established one and sends enough draft capital to entice Portland into the switch.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers add a young star in Brown who would fit their timeline. They’d further add a solid rotation center in Daniel Theis, in addition to two valuable draft picks.
The Stepien Rule prevents Boston from trading their 2023 first-rounder since they traded their 2022 pick to acquire Derrick White.
Thus, the 2024 and 2026 picks are the soonest that Boston could offer, and they could either help Portland pick up youth pieces down the road or acquire depth in the near future.
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For a star in Damian Lillard who is nearing the end of the prime of his career, moving on could be the best method of asset maximization for Portland. Because Boston is ready to contend immediately, the deal becomes mutually beneficial.
Let’s take a deeper dive into how the deal would benefit each team – and why they should consider making it.
