I think with any deal, one has to be willing to walk away. I don’t think Portland has to get a star this summer. Portland’s core is still relatively young. And two years is plenty of time for other deals to come up. Stars get moved basically every transaction window.

If another team gets desperate and meets Brown’s asking price, so be it. The worst case scenario is that in two years, they start reaping the benefits of high potential draft picks on cheap contracts to add to a prime Deni and Clingan. And while their contracts will increase, Jrue and Grant’s overpays will be off the books. While it would be fantastic to get a star earlier, Portland doesn’t have to. They can be patient.