The Portland Trail Blazers could facilitate a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade this offseason, seeing that they have the Milwaukee Bucks' future draft capital as a result of the Damian Lillard trade. There's a chance the Blazers acquire Giannis directly if that's the aggressive move new owner Tom Dundon decides to make in his first summer in Portland.
But if Giannis is finally on the move, the most likely scenario for the Blazers is to facilitate the trade. It's rumored he has no desire to come to Portland, which could make that an unnecessary risk for the Blazers to take on, especially since he could opt out of his player option after just one season.
Blazers will look to get involved in a Giannis blockbuster this summer
Similar to the trade deadline fiasco involving Giannis, Portland's front office must keep a close eye on teams looking to get involved in the sweepstakes. There were previously talks of Mikal Bridges potentially heading to Portland should the New York Knicks land the Bucks superstar.
However, the Blazers have key leverage and some of the most valuable draft capital in the entire league. They should be thinking much bigger than that. Their ceiling is limited with Deni Avdija as their best player, and they must eventually find that 1a option to lead them to contention.
One unexpected route that could become available is coming away with one of the Boston Celtics' stars, Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown.
Could Portland come away with Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown?
That's in pipe-dream territory currently, but the NBA landscape evolves faster than just about any league. Sam Amick of The Athletic recently mentioned that the Celtics will evaluate all their options this summer if they come up short in the postseason.
"If they get bounced in the second round, they're gonna look at the landscape," Amick recently said on FanDuel's "Run It Back" show.
They certainly wouldn't come cheap, but a Tatum or Brown is exactly the type of big-name superstar Portland should be holding out for. They've proven they can win at the highest level as the co-stars, which can't be said for any piece currently on Portland's roster.
The Bucks' picks are so valuable that the Blazers are better off doing nothing unless they can truly land a needle-mover. They either need to continue taking a patient, rebuild approach with those picks set to be conveyed, or accelerate the timeline around their aging stars. Adding a B-tier veteran like Bridges would only further complicate their roster dilemma, as they would dig themselves deeper into no man's land.
It remains to be seen whether Tatum or Brown will actually be available. But a Giannis trade is becoming increasingly likely this summer, and whatever team wins the sweepstakes will have to pay a premium. The Blazers absolutely need to be prepared to cash in their chips to land that star, if they are at a worthwhile level.