On Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Portland Trail Blazers are one of two teams (Miami is the other) that are "already in pursuit" (subscription required) of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. It feels like a trade is what will happen, but if what the 31-year-old recently said is true, one may not happen at all.
In an interview with School of Hard Knocks, Antetokounmpo said:
"In 2013, I got drafted, came here to Milwaukee. I've been here for 13 years with the team, and hopefully, many more."
At the end of Milwaukee's season, co-owner Jimmy Haslam said that Antetokounmpo's options were to either indicate he would re-sign or go elsewhere, and that a decision would need to be made before the draft. If what Giannis said is true, he could end speculation entirely by reiterating his commitment to the Bucks, leaving teams like the Blazers out of luck, to no fault of their own.
Giannis said he hopes to stay with Bucks for "many more" years
The thing is, with Antetokounmpo, no one knows what to believe at this point. He's the one who reportedly made it known last summer that the only team he would play for outside of Milwaukee was New York. The Bucks and Knicks touched base on a trade, but didn't have serious conversations.
Before this past year's deadline, Milwaukee was taking calls on Giannis, but didn't seem motivated to make a deal actually happen then. It wasn't until after the deadline passed that Antetokounmpo posted this tweet:
Legends don’t chase. They attract 💯😎 pic.twitter.com/62r1jg93vt
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 5, 2026
If his actions match his words, he isn't going anywhere because he will sign a max extension in October, shortly before the regular season begins. At the same time, Giannis could've already indicated that, ending trade speculation entirely. Maybe his way of doing that was by saying he wanted to stay in Milwaukee for many more years.
Blazers can't lose hope on Giannis trade just yet
Antetokounmpo is a competitor. He wants to win a second title, having made it known several years ago that he would leave the Bucks for a better opportunity elsewhere. Milwaukee isn't a contender, and hasn't been for the past few years.
Giannis might not really want to leave Milwaukee, but if he prioritizes making another championship run above all else, he knows his best shot of reaching that goal won't happen with the Bucks. And that could be why he chooses not to sign an extension.
Truly, this feels like someone who doesn't want to go through a breakup, but knows that the grass is actually greener on the other side. It doesn't seem like Antetokounmpo is ready to admit that, or maybe he is, but is worried about what Bucks fans will think of him if he publicly says he wants to leave. No one should blame him for doing what's best for his career.
Portland is a team Milwaukee should want to do business with if Antetokounmpo asks out. Luckily, this shouldn't drag on through the summer, with the draft three weeks away. Giannis will have to decide what he truly wants, and maybe that will lead him to the Blazers.
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