From the moment Giannis Antetokounmpo trade chatter started hitting the airwaves, many wondered if the Portland Trail Blazers would show interest. After all, in addition to having young trade chips, they control the Milwaukee Bucks' draft picks in 2028, 2029, and 2030. A few months ago, that would have been an interesting angle, but now, that is no longer the case.
Next season, the league is likely to set new rules in place for the NBA Draft Lottery to combat tanking. Essentially, the NBA wants to expand the lottery to give teams more incentive to compete and still be eligible to land high-end talent. As CBS's Sam Quinn points out, that makes Portland's potential offer in a Giannis proposal this summer far less captivating.
The lottery changes hurt them in this regard. Getting your own picks back isn’t nearly as valuable as it was when you could effectively tank. They can still make a strong offer, but I imagine Giannis will try to steer things in a specific direction. https://t.co/RJ9oJMRNhs
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 2, 2026
Blazers missed a golden opportunity this past season
All of this is important because Portland has been lurking in the background as a Giannis trade suitor. Per NBA insider Jake Fischer (subscription required), the Trail Blazers expressed interest in the star forward leading up to the 2026 trade deadline and that he will be a "prime" candidate for them again in the coming months.
Had Portland pulled off a deal leading up to the deadline, the Bucks absolutely would have wanted to reacquire the picks they sent in the Damian Lillard deal. For a team that is moving on from a star and is likely to enter a rebuild, having control of its own draft picks is a valuable commodity. It could still be useful, without a doubt, but not as much with these new changes in place.
The Trail Blazers went from being likely the clear frontrunner to just being another team in a long line of Giannis suitors.
Portland can still form a rather compelling offer for Giannis
Yes, even if Milwaukee's picks aren't as valuable as they once were, Portland's asset stash is still full of intrigue. In addition to the Bucks' picks, Portland can offer some of its own to keep the ball rolling. The offer becomes even more interesting when sorting through the assortment of young players Portland could offer Milwaukee to initiate a rebuild/retooling.
After his All-Star campaign, Deni Avdija is likely off the table. Fine. Portland still has Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe. A combination of those players should be noteworthy on Milwaukee's end. In the event Giannis does get traded, they need players who can be long-term fits to help get them back to contention sooner rather than later.
If Giannis wants out this summer, which is still not a guarantee, the Portland Trail Blazers will certainly be one of the most talked-about teams on the hunt.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google