The Portland Trail Blazers will most likely be a factor in any Giannis Antetokounmpo trade that materializes before the Feb. 5 deadline, but landing the Milwaukee Bucks superstar himself has become unrealistic. Giannis has "zero interest in going to Portland", NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported on a Bleacher Report livestream.
Although this is a disappointing update for Blazers fans excited about the slim possibility of their team adding a top-five player in the world, it's also not surprising. Everything we've heard about Giannis' landing spot preferences is almost the exact opposite of what Portland offers, particularly in the big-market aspect. Throw in the gloomy weather and a long flight to Greece, and the Blazers are all but out of the running.
Blazers out of Giannis sweepstakes but remain in an ideal position
The good news is that Portland is still set to benefit from a potential Giannis departure, even if he lands elsewhere. They have some of the Bucks' 2028-30 draft capital from the Damian Lillard deal. The value of those picks has absolutely skyrocketed as of late, with the Bucks seemingly on the brink of collapse.
That not only gives Portland all the leverage but also gives them flexibility in terms of the direction they'd like to take at the deadline. The Blazers could simply hold onto these picks and add more prospects to what is an already promising young core. That could be an ideal route to take, especially since they would benefit from having rookie-scale contracts on the books when they'll have so much money tied up into retaining their existing young core -- most notably a future Deni Avdija extension.
But the Blazers have also been named as potential buyers at the deadline. They currently sit 9th in the Western Conference at 23-25 and should only improve as the season progresses, with a roster that continues to get healthy and a schedule that continues to lighten. In other words, Portland could be just one piece away from ending a four-year playoff drought.
If they want to significantly upgrade their roster, there's no better way to achieve that than including at least some of those Bucks picks to facilitate a Giannis blockbuster. Given the increased value of those picks, the Blazers shouldn't include everything. We don't even like the idea of them giving up both first-round pick swaps for Mikal Bridges if Giannis goes to New York. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to diversify their investments and not have so much riding on the Bucks' future.
Ultimately, it depends on where Giannis lands, but the Blazers could play a significant role in that, coming away with a key asset of their own.