According to Chris Haynes, the Portland Trail Blazers have "serious interest to get a deal done to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo." The NBA insider shared that information on "Deals and Dunks" on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Unlike the Boston Celtics, who would probably need a third team involved to land the two-time league MVP, the franchise residing in the Pacific Northwest doesn't figure to face that problem.
The Trail Blazers can offer promising young players, such as Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, and Shaedon Sharpe. They also have several of the Milwaukee Bucks' future first-round picks. They could return at least some of those selections as part of their package of draft capital provided.
However, Portland faces a significant hurdle in its pursuit of Antetokounmpo. The 10-time All-Star reportedly wants to remain in the Eastern Conference. He can opt out of his contract after the 2026-27 campaign. That gives him significant leverage as he tries to steer his way to a preferred destination.
Maybe the Trail Blazers roll the dice. They could reunite him with Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. The combination of Antetokounmpo and Deni Avdija would give them two sledgehammers who are among the best in the league at bulldozing their way to the basket.
Portland would have to sacrifice members of a stingy defense that ranked 12th in defensive rating last season. However, if Donovan Clingan's name is absent from a trade with Milwaukee, then it could pair the seven-foot-two center with a former Defensive Player of the Year. That tandem could turn this team into one of the best at protecting the rim.
Why would the Trail Blazers prefer Giannis to Jaylen Brown?
Portland is reportedly one of three teams with a strong interest in acquiring the Celtics' star wing. However, it's an organization without a first-round pick until 2028. There's merit to the idea of Boston taking a step back now to move forward with burgeoning young talent and added draft capital. That might not be the franchise's M.O., and if it is, there are probably better trade partners.
From the Trail Blazers' perspective, fancying a five-time All-Star makes sense. It's a franchise with the ammunition to ascend in the West. Brown would join a young roster and a team that could remain competitive throughout his prime.
However, that also captures the difference in their standing compared to the Celtics. The latter is operating from a place of stability. They don't have to part with a two-time All-NBA Second Team selection and embrace Antetokounmpo's durability concerns.
That also doesn't change the fact that he's a top-five player in the Association. It wouldn't put Portland on equal footing with the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this deal would do more to raise the team's ceiling.
Continuing to build with Brown in the fold might be the better long-term play. It's the less volatile path forward. However, Antetokounmpo's former backcourt mates, Holiday and Lillard, are older. The former spent the postseason reinforcing the well-rounded impact he continues to have. Time will tell how the latter looks when he returns from a year of rehabbing a torn Achilles. But the combination of that trio, Avdija, and Clingan, if he isn't bound for the Bucks, would give the Trail Blazers a window that, while short-lived, could give them their best chance at a championship.
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