A top-five player in the world could be on the trade market very soon. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is evaluating whether it's in his best interest to remain in Milwaukee or request a trade elsewhere, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Looking at Milwaukee's roster situation, it's evident that the best move for Giannis from a pure basketball standpoint is to take his talents elsewhere. While big markets such as Los Angeles and New York should be considered the most likely landing spots for the Greek Freak, don't rule out the Portland Trail Blazers entirely.
Blazers are a dark horse for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Damian Lillard trade backfired spectacularly for Milwaukee, and the ripple effect of that all-in move could be a disgruntled Giannis ultimately requesting a trade. Thanks to that Lillard trade, the Blazers are in a unique position that should consider them dark horses in the potential Giannis sweepstakes. They have valuable leverage in the form of first-round picks and swaps that the Bucks would desperately want back in order to successfully jumpstart a rebuild in life post-Giannis.
Because the Blazers aren't contenders and Portland isn't a big market or a popular destination for these superstars, the most likely role they will play in a blockbuster deal is as a facilitator, helping Giannis wind up in his preferred landing spot. Still, crazier things have happened in the NBA.
If the Blazers package the Bucks' 2029 first-round pick and their swaps in 2028 and 2030, along with other draft capital and multiple young assets, Portland could put together an offer Milwaukee would at least have to think about.
The issue, however, is that the Blazers would likely have to include rising star Deni Avdija in said deal.
Should Blazers package Deni Avdija to land Giannis?
That's the million-dollar question with any team pursuing Giannis. They will essentially have to gut their roster to land him, and at that point, will they even have enough to contend or make their situation any better than what he currently has in Milwaukee?
Last year's NBA Finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers proved that depth is more important than ever, especially with stars sidelined with injuries at an all-time high. If the Blazers include young assets such as Avdija and Scoot Henderson, among others, what would be left?
Besides the Bucks' draft capital, another thing the Blazers have working in their favor is the player ties to Giannis. Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday are both former teammates, and could attempt to convince him to buy into the idea of a Rip City trio.
The elephant in the room, and what makes a Giannis trade risky for Portland at this point, is that they don't know what version of Lillard they are getting as a player once he returns from his torn Achilles.
It's a risky proposition for Portland to buy into the idea of pairing Giannis with two injured, aging guards on the downturn of their respective careers. Avdija is 24 and on arguably the best contract in the association, meaning Portland can rebuild its roster responsibly and organically while emphasizing a long-term approach. If they upgrade Avdija for Giannis, that timeline suddenly shrinks into an extremely limited window, especially with Holiday and Lillard playing such key roles at that point.
That's typically not the correct rebuilding approach, but exceptions can be made, and Giannis is certainly one of those players worth throwing conventional wisdom out the window for. Even with Avdija emerging as the face of the franchise this season, it's a conversation at least worth having with Milwaukee.