How Portland Trail Blazers could actually land Giannis Antetokounmpo
Portland's Lillard picks give them real trade leverage.
How Portland Trail Blazers could actually land Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Portland Trail Blazers did not make a first-round pick in this year's draft.
They finished 42-40 and made the playoffs, which conveyed their lottery-protected pick to Chicago. Multiple league sources told NBA insider Jake Fischer that they are expected to emerge as a prime trade suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. There is actually a reason it makes sense.
What Portland holds is what Milwaukee actually wants As part of the Damian Lillard trade, the Blazers control the Bucks ' first-round picks in 2028, 2029, and 2030. For Milwaukee, getting those picks back would be the most valuable asset in any Giannis deal. That leverage gives Portland a seat at a table most rebuilding teams would not earn on their own.
Fischer, writing in The Stein Line on Substack, said new owner Tom Dundon's first NBA offseason will be shaped by this pursuit. During his introductory news conference, Dundon said he plans to be "more aggressive than most" when chasing star talent, and that has not come across as empty talk. Blazers GM Joe Cronin said a similar thing, telling reporters the team is open to a major move but only "at the right price point," per multiple reports.