Trail Blazers could be key to Giannis Antetokounmpo trade

There's no reason to believe that the Portland Trail Blazers will pursue Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, there's plenty of reasons to believe Milwaukee wants Portland involved in any deal involving the Greek Freak.

As a result of the Bucks' trade for Damian Lillard before the 2023-24 season, the Blazers control their first-round picks from 2028-30. Getting some or all of those picks back could be a crucial component of any post-Antetokounmpo rebuild.

Milwaukee Bucks are facing a total teardown

The possibility of the Bucks and Antetokounmpo parting ways has gone from an "if" to a "when" in recent months. He and the team clashed about whether he should return from injury or not near the end of the season, after the Bucks declined Antetokounmpo's request for a trade. After the team hired Taylor Jenkins as their new head coach, Antetokounmpo pointedly said, "I think they are getting a good person" — not "we."

Normally, a team preparing to trade away its best player would look to move veterans and reset the team, rebuilding with draft picks. But the Bucks don't have their own first-round pick until 2031, with their 2029 first and swaps in 2028 and 2030 going to the Blazers. So if the Bucks want to bottom out for a high draft pick, they'll need to recover some of their own picks.

That puts Portland as an ideal third team for an inevitable Antetokounmpo trade. The Bucks are highly motivated to get back their own picks, facing a dark immediate future without their superstar, while the Blazers have reasons to move on from expensive veteran Jrue Holiday, given the presence of Lillard and Scoot Henderson at point guard.

Portland Trail Blazers should use their leverage this summer

The Blazers could always simply hold onto their Milwaukee picks, betting on the Bucks' decline and the chance at more lottery picks. The picks might never have more value than they do this summer, with a potential bidding war for Antetokounmpo's services on the way.

It could be a chance for Portland to move Holiday or Jerami Grant, two players each owed more than $70M over the next two seasons. Either could provide matching salary for Antetokounmpo. They could try to add shooting to a team that was third in the NBA in three-point attempts and third-worst in three-point percentage.

Controlling the Bucks' future draft picks at the moment Milwaukee turns to a rebuild gives Portland a lot of leverage this summer. No matter what kind of trade offers develop for the Greek Freak, the Blazers should be angling to involve themselves in the action.