If the Portland Trail Blazers wind up facilitating a blockbuster multi-team Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Jalen Green is the one player they must avoid at all costs.
As of now, if the Milwaukee Bucks do part ways with Giannis, the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are the two leaders in the clubhouse to land the Greek Freak. There are several similarities between the two teams in terms of having a star-studded young core ready to make that next step to become a true contender. They also have plenty of ammunition to get a trade done, including a top-ten pick in this year's draft.
Blazers would regret trading valuable draft capital for Jalen Green
Sam Amick of The Athletic mentioned that Bucks general manager Jon Horst is 'going for blood' and looking for quite the haul in return, as he should. "They want every scenario to gut the other team. And Jon Horst is going to go for blood here, I'm telling you. He just got a new extension. He has the organization's backing. Jon is not going to just try to be on good terms with Giannis -- he's trying to do right by the Bucks," said Amick.
It's possible that a dark horse team ultimately wins the Giannis sweepstakes. As Amick notes, it's also possible he will decide to stay in Milwaukee after all this drama.
"And that means that if every scenario in play leaves the other team so gutted that Giannis might not actually be in that much better of a situation, then maybe that's where he looks at the room and says, 'All right, let me stay put.'"
But if he does go to one of the teams in Texas, the Trail Blazers will have a golden opportunity to add a key piece to their core, whether that's De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, or, ideally, one of Amen Thompson or Alperen Sengun.
Some players, like Vassell or Eason, wouldn't warrant the return of all the Bucks' picks -- perhaps just the two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 get extinguished, while Portland retains the unprotected 2029 first-rounder. That would still be a smaller step in the right direction.
But the last thing they want to do is go all-in for Jalen Green.
Some casual fans might just see the athleticism, the flashy plays, and a 23-year-old putting up 21 points per game. But Green came up short in the playoffs, averaging 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting an inefficient 37.2 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from beyond the arc in their seven-game series loss to the Golden State Warriors.
It's too early in Green's career to officially declare him a "playoff dropper," and he could still figure things out as he gains more experience. But the concerns go far beyond just one lackluster series.
Green's style of play isn't exactly conducive to winning. He's a below-average three-point shooter for his position and doesn't contribute much outside of scoring. He's an inefficient, high-volume guard with questionable shot selection -- a recipe for disaster.
Green has undeniable skill and an intriguing ceiling if he can refine these things, but there are too many red flags for the Trail Blazers to take on that headache in exchange for valuable draft capital.
Portland needs to steer clear of Green this offseason. They already have their high-flying guard in Shaedon Sharpe.