A resolution on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga is expected in the coming weeks as ESPN's Shams Charania reports the Milwaukee Bucks superstar will evaluate whether it's in his best interest to stay in Milwaukee or pursue options elsewhere. If Giannis does ultimately decide he wants out, the Portland Trail Blazers should absolutely be working the phones to land the superstar piece they've been missing.
It's a pipe dream for a number of reasons, but the non-zero chance is worth discussing, given Portland's unique position in the Giannis sweepstakes. They have the Bucks' future draft capital thanks to the Damian Lillard trade, which Milwaukee would want back in order to enter a full-on rebuild in the post-Giannis era.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey recently proposed a trade that has Portland cashing in its chips to land the Greek Freak. Here is the deal in full:
*Portland would include a 2028 first-round pick (via Milwaukee), a 2030 first-round pick (via Milwaukee) and a 2032 first-round pick.
Grading the trade for Portland
"For the Blazers, this adds Giannis to both Jrue Holiday (his championship-winning point guard) and Lillard (the one Jrue was traded for). It would instantly give them perhaps the best forward combo in the league with Giannis and Deni Avdija. And it would instantly make them one of the few Western Conference teams you can imagine upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder," Bailey writes.
Losing Scoot Henderson would certainly sting as he has one of the highest ceilings on this up-and-coming Blazers roster, with still plenty of room to grow, given how long guards take to adjust to the NBA. If Portland is open to trading the former No. 3 overall pick, they must be very selective in what piece they get back in return, as this could be a decision they regret as Henderson continues to ascend.
That said, Giannis is a top-five player in the world who is still in his prime. With this deal, I'd personally drive Scoot to the iconic PDX airport myself.
Adding Giannis to this young core would instantly put Portland in contention status. A potential starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Antetokounmpo, and Donovan Clingan would elevate Portland to that second tier of Western Conference teams alongside the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.
In this scenario, Portland also wouldn't have to sacrifice a significant amount of its future, with plenty of young assets remaining to continue progressing. This is a deal that seems too good to be true, because it likely is.
Grade: A++