Giannis Antetokounmpo Draws Blazers Pitch, Long-Term Extension Key
giannis antetokounmpo is drawing a Portland pitch that hinges on one condition: a long-term extension in Portland. The Trail Blazers are prepared to make that move, turning their offseason position into a direct chase for the Milwaukee Bucks star.
Portland’s angle is built on draft capital it already controls from the Damian Lillard trade. That package includes the Bucks’ 2029 first-round selection and swaps in 2028 and 2030, giving the Blazers a concrete asset base if they decide to press for a deal.
Portland’s draft leverage
The Blazers got those rights in September 2023 when they traded Lillard to Milwaukee. They also re-signed him, and he should return from a ruptured Achilles at age 36 next season.
That matters because Portland is not approaching this like a blind bid. Deni Avdija led the league in drives this year, so the roster already has a young ball pressure piece on hand while the front office weighs whether to spend its future draft control on a bigger swing.
Bucks and offseason suitors
Milwaukee never really intended to trade Antetokounmpo at the February deadline, but the Bucks believed some suitors could improve their offers with more draft picks in the offseason. That gives the trade market a cleaner shape now than it had in February, when the Bucks were not shopping him.
Rich Paul floated a Jalen Johnson-for-Antetokounmpo swap on his podcast in January and said, "If I’m the Bucks, I’m looking at a young player, high character, high talent, high IQ" and "I’m calling Atlanta. I want Jalen Johnson. He’s from Milwaukee." The Hawks hold a first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans in June's draft, and that pick has a 29.3% chance of landing in the top four and a 6.8% chance of becoming the No. 1 overall pick.
The other named suitor in play is Minnesota. According to Jon Krawczynski, there was mutual interest between the Timberwolves and Antetokounmpo during the regular season, and Antetokounmpo was interested in being paired with Anthony Edwards while Minnesota worked on complicated multi-team deals. The Timberwolves lead the Denver Nuggets 3-2 in their first-round series.
Atlanta, Minnesota, Houston
Houston belonged in that conversation before it traded for Kevin Durant last offseason, when the Rockets were viewed among the favorites to land Antetokounmpo if Milwaukee ever made him available. Atlanta, Minnesota and Portland now look like the clearest names attached to the offseason market.
For Portland, the real decision is whether those 2028, 2029 and 2030 draft rights are enough to justify a pitch that only works if Antetokounmpo is willing to commit long term. If he is, the Blazers have the kind of trade leverage that can change the shape of their summer fast.
