New Delhi, June 29 -- PORTLAND - Three months after Tom Dundon bought the Portland Trail Blazers, the franchise he inherited is on the verge of a move that would make every development-first front office in the league wince. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Blazers are now the clear front-runner to land Jaylen Brown, a player owed $57 million in the first year alone of a contract that runs three more seasons.

The number that defines this pursuit is not Brown's age (29) or his per-game average (26.6 points last season). It is the $285.3 million supermax he signed with Boston in July 2023, a deal that made him one of the five highest-paid players in the league before the ink dried. Portland landing him would mean Dundon, a man de...