The Portland Trail Blazers could potentially steal Mikal Bridges by facilitating a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks.
Thanks to the Damian Lillard trade, Portland has key leverage in any Giannis blockbuster. Should they ultimately trade their superstar, the Bucks would ideally look to rebuild their roster. However, they can't effectively do that without their future draft capital. Portland has Milwaukee's 2029 first-round pick and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030. Portland could look to cash in some, if not all, of its chips to help make a playoff push.
Despite the connections to Lillard and Jrue Holiday, a Giannis-to-Portland scenario seems like nothing more than a pipe dream. Still, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line that Portland is trying to capitalize on a Giannis trade as a facilitator (subscription required), given its key leverage in draft capital.
Blazers could steal Mikal Bridges by facilitating a Giannis-Knicks trade
With the Knicks expected to be one of the favorite landing spots should Giannis continue his career elsewhere, that gives the Blazers a chance to come away with a key piece such as Mikal Bridges.
"I'm told Blazers officials have always viewed Antetokounmpo's potential Milwaukee exit as a chance to improve their own roster by jumping into a multi-team deal... So there is absolutely a down-the-road world where the Blazers could try to butt into, say, Milwaukee/New York talks if Giannis-to-the-Knicks ever got serious."
Fischer adds that the Blazers have "long admired" Bridges dating back to Damian Lillard's first stint in Portland. It's easy to see why. He's the exact 3-and-D wing that the Blazers were missing when they failed to surround Dame with the necessary pieces.
Even without Bridges in the equation, things are fortunately different this time around. Lillard remains adamant that his return to Rip City was a basketball decision as the Blazers finally have the roster built to make a deep playoff run in the coming seasons. Deni Avdija is emerging as a legitimate star, Donovan Clingan has become a reliable defensive anchor, and Toumani Camara is the elite complementary piece every contender needs. Portland has already established a defensive identity, but adding someone like Bridges would take their defense from good to elite.
That said, the Blazers still must be highly selective when considering parting ways with these picks. They have the potential to be some of the most valuable draft capital in the entire association, especially with the way the Bucks have been trending as of late. While we wouldn't give up the 2029 first-rounder and both swaps for Bridges, it's promising that the Blazers are already looking for ways to capitalize on this situation in a potential multi-team deal.
Now, we just have to wait and see how this Giannis situation unfolds.