It remains to be seen if the Portland Trail Blazers get involved in a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, or if the superstar even requests a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, for that matter. But if that is the case, the rest of the league should be concerned about the possibility of Portland emerging as a dark horse.
The Bucks are expected to initiate a teardown in a potential post-Giannis era, and the Blazers are the one team that can help them pull it off. The primary reason is they own the Bucks’ future draft capital — a 2029 first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps (2028 and 2030) — due to the Damian Lillard deal that backfired spectacularly for Milwaukee. It doesn’t make sense for the Bucks to embrace a full-on rebuild without getting those picks back.
Even better, the Blazers have an up-and-coming roster that’s gradually getting better each season, as evidenced by their 15-win improvement last season. Milwaukee could not only get its own picks but also add the Blazers’ own recent draft picks to help jumpstart its rebuild.
The Blazers hold the Bucks’ reset button
The silver lining from an active four-year playoff drought is that Portland has promising young assets at every position, landing Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, and Yang Hansen over the last four summers. But surprisingly, the most significant addition to Portland’s young core has been their trades. Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija are the two most important building blocks on this roster, both acquired via trade, either directly or indirectly, thanks to the Lillard deal.
Giannis’ unprecedented loyalty is the only thing keeping him in Milwaukee at this point, as the Bucks have a bleak future due to their desperate, myopic moves to keep him around in the first place. Should Giannis finally request a trade, it’s expected the Bucks will cut their losses by exploring trades for Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner (subscription required) as well. That’s the correct approach to espace limbo, but they won’t fully achieve it without the Blazers’ help, one way or another.
That’s the unique leverage Portland has that makes it a sneaky landing spot for the Greak Freak. The big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks are getting the spotlight, and understandably so. But given their limited assets compared to what the Blazers have to offer, it’s clear which option is better for the Bucks, especially if they are embracing a full-on roster teardown.
There are a few things that keep this in pipe dream territory for now. Would Giannis even want to come to Portland? It’s a small market, and it’s not like things went as expected the first time around with the Giannis-Dame pairing. And from Portland’s standpoint, do they want to risk an all-in move and alter the promising rebuilding trajectory they’re currently on? Ultimately, the answer could come down to what they are willing to give up, particularly whether rising star Deni Avdija is truly off-limits.
Given their young assets as well as their unique position and leverage in this scenario, the Blazers aren’t being talked about enough in the Giannis sweepstakes. Don’t count them out entirely just yet.