Thanks to the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade, the Portland Trail Blazers' future is closely tied to the Milwaukee Bucks. That makes this a pivotal Feb. 5 trade deadline not just in terms of the moves Portland could make, but also Milwaukee. The Blazers have the Bucks' 2029 first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
Simply put, they want Milwaukee to be as bad as possible to make those picks as good as possible. There may be no better way to achieve that than the Bucks making a desperate move for Ja Morant at the deadline.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jim Owczarski reported that the Bucks have expressed interest in Morant (subscription required), who the Grizzlies have made available for trade.
Blazers should hope Bucks trade for Ja Morant
Meanwhile, Dalton Sell of Behind the Buck Pass has made it clear that he doesn't want Milwaukee to trade for the polarizing star, noting that "any trade for Morant would be playing with fire."
The same concerns we've expressed about why Portland should stay far away from Morant have been shared by Sell, highlighting the offensive headache that would come from playing Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside Morant -- two downhill players who thrive with the ball in their hands and can't effectively space the floor. The fact that Bucks analysts don't want Morant is exactly why Blazers fans should be hoping this deal happens.
Taking on Morant is a risky proposition for any team, given his off-court issues that have led to suspension, a massive contract, and an injury history that is more extensive than many realize. Adding the poor fit with Giannis makes this a disaster waiting to happen.
The Bucks have already stretched their roster thin to keep Giannis around up until this point, whether it was the Kyle Kuzma trade or the decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner this past summer. Adding Morant into the equation isn't the needle-mover that their front office seems to think it is, and would make it that much harder for Milwaukee to pivot yet again.
Each desperate move to keep Giannis around is actually digging themselves a deeper hole, as they lack the assets to find him a true co-star to get themselves back into contention. For Portland's sake, let's hope Morant is the next desperation move they make.
With ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reporting that the Miami Heat's interest in Morant has been "overstated" as they look to keep their books clean to add a star down the road, suddenly, Milwaukee becomes one of the most likely landing spots.
The Bucks are widely expected to make a splash at the deadline in an attempt to keep Giannis around. And while Morant wouldn't be the splash they think it is, let's hope a Grizzlies-Bucks deal actually materializes in the next three weeks.