The Portland Trail Blazers have a chance to control NBA trade season. The only question is whether they'll be motivated to do so. On one hand, this club has fallen short of its collective expectations. On the other, this still looks like a core worth seriously supporting given Deni Avdija's All-Star ascension and Shaedon Sharpe's flashes of brilliance.
There are enough positives in Portland to imagine the front office is still feeling the same win-now itch that drove it toward acquiring Jrue Holiday this offseason. If the Blazers hope to truly change their fate, though, they need to go even bigger. And since they happen to be in possession of multiple future Milwaukee Bucks' picks, they might be positioned to snag the single biggest prize on the trade market.
If the Blazers feel bold enough, they could have the assets to go get Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This is the kind of blockbuster swap that could stop folks right in their tracks—even as just a theoretical trade pitch.
Just about every angle of the transaction fascinates. From Milwaukee's perspective, the Bucks would presumably be immediately launching into a long-term tank job, and they would swiftly seek out takers for both Grant and Williams, each of whom would attract win-now suitors. They could also try their hands at building something back up around Henderson, a 21-year-old who went third overall in the 2023 talent grab.
The real stunner, of course, would be the Blazers' end of this blockbuster. And the plot lines would be similarly overloaded with intrigue, like Antetokounmpo reuniting with a former championship sidekick (Jrue Holiday) and the star that player was later traded to acquire (Damian Lillard) or how Portland's young players would respond to sharing the floor with such a gravitational, generational elite.
Of most importance, of course, would be where this slots the Blazers in the league's hierarchy at large. And, frankly, I wish I had a better feel for that answer to provide.
But so much of it would depend on the continued development of Portland's young core. And on how Lillard looks on the other end of his recovery from a ruptured Achilles. And how much, if any, additional moves this team made, perhaps in pursuit of a clearer, more cohesive timeline. The list of unknowns runs deep.
That said, you can absolutely envision how this could work. Portland is aiming to forge an identity built around relentless, disruptive defense, and Antetokounmpo is the perfect star to lead that type of team. He's also such a powerful, potent downhill force on offense that he'd immediately lighten the load on and clean up the scoring chances for everyone around him.
And who knows, maybe the Portland setting would make the Lillard-Antetokounmpo sing in ways it never quite could in Milwaukee. Those Bucks teams didn't have a third star like Avdija or a turbo-boosted wild card like Sharpe. This partnership could prove much more fruitful than the first time.
To be clear, this is not at all a likely outcome for trade season, but if the Blazers wanted to stretch their trade budget, this is a feel for how much they can afford.