The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to decide on Giannis Antetokounmpo's future before the NBA Draft, which takes place on June 23. The Portland Trail Blazers are a dark horse to land the Greek Freak, given key leverage in having the Bucks' future draft picks.
Getting those picks back should be considered a top priority for Milwaukee in any potential Giannis blockbuster. It would make their rebuild a whole lot easier as they'd actually have an incentive to bottom out. But what other future assets would Portland have to include in a package?
Here's the deal recently proposed by Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus:
Blazers receive:Â Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive:Â Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle (via sign-and-trade), 2028 first-rounder, 2029 first-rounder, 2030 reversal of prior first-round swap, 2031 protected first-rounder, $11.9 million trade exception (Antetokounmpo)
Blazers sacrifice future backcourt in win-now move
Pincus adds that Portland would likely try to trade Jerami Grant instead of Scoot Henderson, which would mean they wouldn't have to include Matisse Thybulle as a salary filler. But if the Bucks are taking this package above any other offers around the league, it's because they are set on initiating a full roster teardown. That's the one thing Portland has working in its favor when it comes to the Giannis sweepstakes. It also means Milwaukee would insist on a potential building block in Henderson rather than an experienced veteran like Grant.
Portland losing its backcourt of the future would sting. Shaedon Sharpe still possesses the highest ceiling on this roster. Henderson showed meaningful progress this season, particularly during the first half of their playoff series against San Antonio.
However, if the Blazers do take the Giannis route, it's because they want to better align their timeline with the closing windows of his former teammates, Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. They can't afford to deal with the growing pains and inconsistent play surrounding their backcourt if they have legitimate championship aspirations.
Why Portland would do this trade
General manager Joe Cronin has said he's open to trading for a star, but wouldn't be willing to sacrifice their entire future for an all-in move. This is a reasonable price to pay for Giannis, as they would still be able to maintain their underrated depth to surround their superstar with complementary pieces.
The Giannis-Dame pairing didn't work out in Milwaukee, but I think it had more to do with the Bucks' inability to optimize it, both from a coaching and a roster fit standpoint. In Portland, the star duo would have Deni Avdija, Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara as ideal pieces to contribute to a deep playoff run.
They could also potentially retain Robert Williams III, assuming new owner Tom Dundon is willing to go into the tax. While Dundon has already developed a reputation for being cheap due to his controversial cost-cutting measures, fans will come to appreciate his willingness to spend on players. That could come into play as soon as his first summer in Portland, as the Blazers find themselves in a prime position to make a play on a top-five player in Giannis.
While we think pursuing Giannis is worthwhile for Portland to elevate their currently limited ceiling, it's also somewhat difficult to grade a trade. Surrendering this amount of assets for a potential one-year rental is a major red flag, but it's more than worth it if it's a long-term move. Given that it's already been reported that Portland will only trade for Giannis if it comes with a commitment, we'll assume it's the latter in this scenario.
It's a steep price, but also reasonable, as it's not the type of franchise-ruining trades new owners tend to make. Overall, we'd be thrilled if Portland were able to come away with Giannis for this price, propelling themselves immediately into the contention picture.
Grade: A-
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