The Portland Trail Blazers are barely thought of as a landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo, especially since the superstar reportedly does not see a long-term future in Rip City. However, the Blazers could have an ace up their sleeve in the Giannis sweepstakes: Jrue Holiday.
Over a month after the trade deadline and just a few weeks before the playoffs, talks about Antetokounmpo's possible exit from the Milwaukee Bucks continue to abound. Ramona Shelburne even wrote a full-length article about it on ESPN, explaining why trading him could be much more complicated this summer for the Bucks than if they had just gotten the job done at the deadline.
Interestingly, inside Shelburne's piece is a sentence that could give life to Portland's pipe dream of landing Antetokounmpo:
"Subsequently, sources told ESPN that Antetokounmpo confided to Holiday how much he and the Bucks missed Holiday's defense and leadership."
The timeline of Antetokounmpo's supposed revelation is unclear. It could have been right after Holiday helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship in 2024, based on Shelburne's article. If that's indeed the case, would the "Greek Freak" still hold the same sentiment today? Considering what has happened in Milwaukee since letting go of Holiday, it wouldn't be surprising if Giannis continues to miss his dear old teammate badly.
Reunions in Rip City?
Perhaps the Holiday angle could urge the risk-taking Joe Cronin to pull the trigger on a Giannis trade in the summer. The idea of teaming up again with Jrue might urge the two-time MVP to give the Blazers a chance.
And lest we forget, the move would also reunite Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard. The pair spent two seasons together in Milwaukee and could have some unfinished business after injuries thwarted their hopes of competing for a championship. Maybe the future Hall of Famers are destined to help each other win a ring in a different city.
The Blazers' supporting cast is much stronger than the one Giannis currently has, which should give him something to think about.
Deni Avdija has already completed his All-Star turn and is only going to get better from here on. Donovan Clingan is the ideal complementary piece to any superstar because of the rim protection, monster rebounding, and outside shooting he provides. In Portland, Antetokounmpo would be flanked by younger, potentially better versions of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, two key pieces of the Bucks' 2021 championship run.
The challenge of pursuing Giannis
A stumbling block to the Blazers' possible Antetokounmpo pursuit is that Milwaukee's asking price might be too steep for their liking. Chances are, Clingan would have to be included in the deal, and the young center should be untouchable in trade talks.
What the Blazers could have going for them, though, is that, as Shelburne noted, the Bucks may have missed out on their chance to maximize the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo's value. As one NBA executive put it, the 10-time All-Star is basically an expiring deal, so the trade offers Milwaukee might be seeking this offseason probably aren't coming.
Of course, the Blazers' Giannis dream hinges on what he wants. He could decide to stay the course with his current team or provide a non-negotiable list of preferred destinations that doesn't include Portland. In that case, it will still be business as usual for the organization, whose rebuilding efforts have shown promise even without a bona fide superstar yet.