The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off as incredibly desperate to upgrade their roster by the Feb. 5 trade deadline. As currently constructed, their roster doesn't have enough firepower to contend; this could result in their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo requesting a trade, either by February or in the offseason.
At this point, it may be easier to list who the Bucks aren't interested in exploring a trade for. They've been linked to multiple players, including Zach LaVine, Jerami Grant, and most recently, Michael Porter Jr., as they go "big game hunting."
These three players tell you all you need to know about the state of the Bucks franchise. None of them are true needle-movers, but the Bucks don't have enough assets to truly land a co-star for Giannis.
Blazers rooting for Bucks to make desperate trade deadline move
If Milwaukee does make this desperate attempt to keep Giannis by sacrificing even more of their future -- both in the form of assets and overpaid contracts -- it's going to make their future draft capital that much more valuable. They won't be able to pivot as easily, setting them up for a collapse that could perfectly align with the years they owe their picks to Portland as a result of the Damian Lillard blockbuster. Milwaukee owes Portland an unprotected 2029 first-round pick as well as swaps in 2028 and 2030. It would be shocking if Giannis is on the roster by then, given how his loyalty is already being tested by such a poorly constructed roster.
This gives Portland tremendous leverage and could be the key to catching up to the juggernauts in the Western Conference. They would have plenty of flexibility, whether that means keeping the picks, facilitating a Giannis trade, or packaging them directly for a star of their own.
What direction they decide to take remains to be seen, but what is apparent is that those picks are continually increasing in value. They could be considered some of the most valuable draft capital in the entire league, depending on how this situation with Giannis plays out.
With the Bucks now popping up in seemingly every trade rumor, expect them to make some move by the deadline. Blazers fans should hope that the Bucks try to keep Giannis around with a myopic trade for someone like LaVine. Or even better, Portland could double down on its future outlook by offloading Grant's massive contract.
Regardless, Portland's path to contention is closely tied to Milwaukee's fate, which is incredibly promising as the Bucks get closer to collapse with each new trade rumor.