Raiders trade for star receiver Antonio Brown — VIDEO

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) plays in an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

In this photo from Dec. 30, 2018, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, left, talks to former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch as he stands on the sideline before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2018, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) pulls in a pass reception in front of New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, foreground right, and strong safety Kurt Coleman in the second half of an NFL football game, in New Orleans. Antonio Brown wants out of Pittsburgh. A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver has asked the Steelers for a trade. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to publicly discuss personnel matters. Brown appeared to make his decision official in a social media post released on Instagram on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland. Brown caught eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown during Pittsburgh’s 19-13 victory in Kansas City last October. The Steelers host the Chiefs on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane, File)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2018, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) plays against the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. If the Steelers trade the star receiver they’d prefer to send him to a team they don’t play often. But general manager Kevin Colbert said, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, that calculation could change depending on the offer. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Raiders knew about the contract. They knew about the controversy. They took on both Saturday night, arranging a trade for wide receiver Antonio Brown.

The team will part with 2019 third- and fifth-round picks in the deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Network reported. Pro Football Talk first reported his three-year, $50.125 million deal.

☠️☠️☠️ #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/ul6lIVk9dE

— Antonio Brown (@AB84) March 10, 2019

Brown previously was due to make $38.925 million in that span.

No trade can be processed until Wednesday’s start of the 2019 league year.

In some sense, Brown was first to announce the news. On Instagram, he posted an image of him photoshopped in a Raiders No. 84 jersey. He published a second image of him and quarterback Derek Carr at the Pro Bowl.

“Love at first sight,” Brown wrote in the caption.

Said Carr on Twitter: “Brother let’s get to work.”

Brother let's get to work! https://t.co/L2JwgKypoP

— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) March 10, 2019

The Raiders debated internally whether Brown — someone who skipped practices and a Week 17 game to end the 2018 season before publicly commenting that he didn’t need football while demanding a trade — was worth taking on.

But the team was serious about upgrading at wide receiver. In a weak free-agency class, it had concerns that its top target in free agency, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tyrell Williams, would be signable at a contract it considered amenable.

And so Brown, who became the first NFL player to post 100 receptions in six consecutive seasons, grew in attraction.

That his market shrunk to the extent the Raiders did not need to part with their three first-round picks and No. 35 overall choice in the second round only enhanced that.

Here we are.

Blond mustache, bravado and all, Brown is bound for Oakland and Las Vegas.

Despite this blockbuster move, the Raiders are not considered done at the position.

They planned to add a No. 1 wide receiver and quality slot receiver. Brown is the former. The latter is expected to come in the April 25 to 27 draft.

More Raiders: Follow at reviewjournal.com/Raiders and @NFLinVegas on Twitter.

 Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.