Blazers Named Surprising Trade Suitor For Giannis Antetokounmpo

Many clubs have been linked to Antetokounmpo as possible trade fits. Now, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report outlines an interesting scenario where he could be dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers.

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"The Blazers currently exist in this weird space, not good enough to be within arm's length of contention, nowhere near ethically bad enough to guarantee they do more than draft at the back end of the lottery moving forward. Giannis comes in and immediately gives them a guiding light," Favale writes. "The already-stingy defense gets even more terrifying, and while the floor-spacing doesn't improve, they'd have the go-to No. 1 option they so desperately need."

Would Antetokounmpo really be willing to join a Western Conference club, without another surefire All-Star, that hasn't even made the playoffs since 2020?

Portland does have an intriguing young core, comprising a few high-upside pieces, but no one on the current roster has ever been named an All-Star.

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"Portland has plenty of young players and matching salaries to offer," Favale writes. "You don't entirely gut the core. You want some combination of Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson left over. You don't make any single player off limits, either."

Avdija in particular flashed All-Star potential during the second half of the Trail Blazers' 2024-25 season. During the 40 games he played when the calendar flipped over to 2025, Avidja averaged 19.8 points on .492/.369/.774 shooting splits, 8.4 rebounds, 4.5 dimes, and 1.1 steals a night.

Camara, who has already been named to an All-Defensive Team just two years into his career, would be an intriguing defensive partner for Antetokounmpo, along with All-Rookie center Clingan.

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"Draft compensation gets a little weird, because the Blazers owe a lottery-protected pick to Chicago that stretches through 2028," Favale notes. "But they also have a potential edge over the competition: the ability to offer Milwaukee control over its own first-rounders in 2028, 2029 and 2030."

The three Texas teams have probably the best young, movable assets available in the league, but Portland's youth and draft equity could hold some intrigue for Bucks general manager Jon Horst.

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