Can't think of many other cheap options. If the trip from JFK is too long you could always split it in two with an overnight in a comfy hotel bed en route. ORD would be the obvious pit stop - separate ticket to the 241 but protected on AA. Or MSP - about 3 hours from both PDX and JFK, relatively cheap on Delta but that wouldn't be protected.

Otherwise there's always JFK-YVR on CX J or JFK-SFO/LAX on AA transcon J and onwards from there, but that would probably eat up more avios than the 241 savings.

Or roll the dice, leave it late and hope for some last-minute availability to ORD.