The Portland Trail Blazers have valuable future Milwaukee Bucks draft capital thanks to trading away Damian Lillard in 2023. That looked even more valuable with Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors spiraling this season. If Giannis requested a trade, the Bucks would inevitably collapse, increasing the odds the Blazers would add a coveted draft prospect to an already promising young core.
But in Giannis' latest interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Greek Freak firmly addresses those trade rumors, making it clear that he won't be requesting a trade out of Milwaukee this season. Or any season, for that matter.
"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment, that I will come out and say 'I want a trade,'" Antetokounmpo said. "That's not … in … my … nature. OK?"
That's not exactly what the Blazers were hoping to hear.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won't request a trade
A Giannis-led team in the weak Eastern Conference is going to remain viable regardless of the pieces Milwaukee puts around its superstar. Of course, that's also the silver lining to this for Portland. Even if Giannis does stay, it's unlikely they become contenders by the time those picks (2029 first-round pick, two swaps in 2028 and 2030) are conveyed.
The Bucks have already lost a ton of leverage by desperately trying to convince Giannis to stay up until this point, whether that was the Kyle Kuzma deal or their decision to waive and stretch Lillard to clear space to add Myles Turner -- a decision that doesn't appear to be paying off this season.
That's why these Giannis trade rumors circulated in the first place: everyone knows that the Bucks are headed for purgatory with their limited assets and lack of financial flexibility.
Could the Blazers now trade the Bucks picks?
Still, this certainly caps the ceiling on those picks, which were some of the most valuable traded draft capital in the league prior to this interview. It could even change the Blazers' plans entirely.
Betting against a Bucks team when you know Giannis is in it for the long haul suddenly becomes much less appealing. It's also interesting timing with the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaching. Could the Blazers look to cash in their chips to land a star? That option has become much more realistic, not only after this Giannis interview, but also with Deni Avdija playing at an All-Star level and Portland winning six of its last seven games.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to abandon ship and turn theoretical assets into a surefire one. They were rumored to have expressed interest in New Orleans Pelicans' rising star Trey Murphy III. And suddenly, including those Bucks picks in a package to get back to the postseason this year doesn't sound so far-fetched.