There’s still a chance that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to be traded away from the Milwaukee Bucks this summer, and thanks in part to Damian Lillard’s move back to the Portland Trail Blazers, they could be a sneaky landing spot for The Greek Freak. Shams Charania of ESPN recently reported Antetokounmpo’s potential uncertainty.
“Sources tell me there's still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said on ESPN’s Get Up. “And so he's continuing to evaluate his future. I reported it in mid May that he's evaluating whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it elsewhere. And that process is continuing. Pete, there's been some very real conversations over the last week or so. The constant question that Giannis has though is, ‘can I win a championship with this roster? Is this roster going to be one for this upcoming year and 2026-27?’
“He wants to win a second championship. So, he's asking that question over and over. There are multiple teams waiting in the wings potentially if Giannis this off season still makes that decision.”
Why do the Blazers make sense for a Giannis trade?
Obviously, with Lillard’s return to Portland, there’s a chance they attempt to be competitive in the next couple of seasons. In fact, with both Lillard and Jrue Holiday in town now, the Blazers seem intent on making a push in the coming years. That alone would make Portland a solid destination for Antetokounmpo.
But the real reason the Blazers could make sense for an Antetokounmpo trade is that they own multiple future first-round picks that belong to the Bucks.
The Blazers own Milwaukee’s unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and own the right to swap first-rounders in 2028 and 2030. Getting those picks would allow the Bucks to tank effectively without fear of losing their picks in a couple of years.
Plus, the Blazers have some interesting pieces Portland could look to steal away from the Bucks. Guys like Scoot Henderson, Yang Hansen, and Robert Williams III could all be fairly intriguing pieces for the Bucks to target in a deal. If they really wanted to push the Blazers, they could ask for guys like Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe, too.
The point is, getting their own future first-rounders back in an Antetokounmpo would be ideal for the Bucks. They need a way to tank if they trade Antetokounmpo, and a deal for their own firsts would provide them with that option.
A Portland trade for Antetokounmpo is very unlikely. The Blazers probably won’t want to rush things, and Milwaukee almost certainly won’t trade Antetokounmpo unless he asks to be moved.
But a deal could make some sense for both sides.