The Portland Trail Blazers have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and it’s not hard to imagine why. Antetokounmpo could join the rising Blazers, who have performed well this year, and team up with two of his former teammates: Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday (who were traded for each other).
Portland could also offer something most other teams couldn’t: They could give Milwaukee some of their picks back. Unfortunately, Antetokounmpo is probably looking to go to a big market. So, Portland getting involved in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes seems relatively unlikely. They won’t be making an Antetokounmpo trade this season.
Or, will they?
Blazers should be a third team in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
See, it may not be super realistic for the Blazers to trade for Antetokounmpo. However, they should still look to be involved in the deal in some capacity. More specifically, they should try to act as a third team.
Whatever team ends up trading for Antetokounmpo will have to inevitably send some valuable assets to the Bucks. And not just draft picks. Players will be included in the package, too.
Take the New York Knicks, for example. They are one of the to potential destinations for Antetokounmpo, and they could end up making an aggressive push to land him before the deadline.
So, what if the Blazers got involved, sent Jrue Holiday to the Knicks, and found a way to get back Mikal Bridges? And what if they got some draft capital somehow, too?
But even if the deal isn’t that involved, perhaps they could land someone like Josh Hart. If the Bucks asked for him, or even Mitchell Robinson, in a trade, then the Blazers could try to trade for one of them, sending draft capital and expiring contracts Milwaukee’s way.
Adding a guy like Hart or Robinson to the mix in Portland could help them make yet another step, and perhaps even compete for a top-six seed in the West (though it may be too late for that this year).
If the Golden State Warriors try to make a trade for Antetokounmpo, then maybe the Blazers could try to snag one of their young players. Would a Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski get moved to a third team?
What about the Miami Heat? Would the Bucks want to flip someone like Andrew Wiggins? Would the Minnesota Timberwolves send out Donte DiVincenzo?
There are plenty of quality veterans the Blazers could look to snag as a third team in an Antetokounmpo, especially if they want to improve their core.