The NBA is an ever-evolving landscape that changes fast, especially in the offseason. ESPN's Shams Charania recently reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo is "open-minded" about the possibility of playing elsewhere.
Later that day, the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers miraculously secured the top three picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. These recent developments leave the Portland Trail Blazers with one clear trade partner: the Spurs.
San Antonio's roster presents a good problem because they now have an abundance of valuable assets. They must decide whether to use their No. 2 overall selection to take Rutgers guard Dylan Harper or potentially include him in a package for Giannis.
Recent developments make the Spurs a logical trade partner for the Blazers
One of Harper, Stephon Castle, or De'Aaron Fox could be on the move, as the Spurs need to balance their roster better and add more shooting into the equation. The Blazers own the Bucks' valuable future draft capital and also have an unproven backcourt. This makes them the perfect team to play the role of a facilitator with both the Bucks and Spurs or to make an individual trade with San Antonio.
Perhaps the Spurs like the idea of having two cost-controlled rookies in Harper and Castle, betting on their shooting improvements to make the fit work. The Blazers desperately need a top-30 player and could offer those Bucks picks for Fox.
Even if they can't land one of their coveted backcourt trio, San Antonio has other options for Portland to pursue as well, including Keldon Johnson and, more intriguingly, Devin Vassell. The Florida State product is just 24 years old and remains an underrated player in the league, averaging 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 44/37/79 shooting splits.
Before Giannis' potential departure became more than just speculation, and San Antonio had a 6.3 percent chance of landing the No. 2 overall pick, they didn't make sense as a trade partner for the Blazers. They still had valuable assets, but it didn't seem like a two-way street in terms of Portland having anything worthwhile to offer outside of perhaps Anfernee Simons.
Now, San Antonio is in a prime position to try to land Giannis. Dallas has already gone on record saying they won't trade Cooper Flagg in a package for Giannis (but you never truly know with Nico Harrison), meaning the Spurs may now have the most valuable young assets to dangle outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Bucks could be intrigued by the idea of taking on Castle and/or Harper as the headliner for Giannis, but they won't -- or at least shouldn't -- want to commit to a full-on rebuild unless they get their picks back from Portland.
Milwaukee is in the driver's seat to decide where to send Giannis, but Portland is right there next to them as the passenger. And they quietly hold the keys to get the car started.