Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has come to the forefront of trade discussions as we approach the highly anticipated deadline on Thursday.
A few teams are said to be interested in acquiring his services, and recently, the Portland Trail Blazers have joined the race with an ace up their sleeve.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to Portland?
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, “The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to join the race for Giannis, with Damian Lillard recruiting behind the scenes.”
However, on Fischer’s ‘Bleacher Report Insider’ Notebook show, he admitted the ‘Greek Freak’ has no interest in joining the Trail Blazers before the deadline on Feb. 5.
Fischer said, “If they can overcome the factors working against them, the fact that they don’t have a clear-cut blue-chip prospect (to put in a deal). And that Giannis, by all accounts, does not want to head to that marketplace despite the connections with Jrue (Holiday), despite the connections with Damian Lillard.”
Like other teams, Portland doesn’t have a superstar player who could attract the Bucks enough to part ways with their two-time MVP legend.
West All-Star Deni Avdija is the most lucrative player on the Trail Blazers, but his $14,375,000 salary isn’t close to Antetokounmpo’s $54,126,450 annual income. The Blazers hoped his title-winning connections with Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard could have swayed the Bucks star to make the move.
Holiday and Antetokounmpo were teammates in Milwaukee’s 2021 NBA Championship-winning run, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games. They have a record of 119 wins and 42 losses together, with Holiday averaging 17.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in those games.
In a game against the Indiana Pacers in March 2023, Holiday scored a career-high 51 points while Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double. As for Lillard, the Trail Blazers icon joined up with the ‘Greek Freak’ in Milwaukee in the quest for a championship.
The pair has a combined record of 73 wins and 43 losses, but failed in their ultimate quest to deliver a championship. However, they did secure the NBA Cup in 2024, defeating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in Las Vegas.
Last season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 58 games for the Bucks. He has yet to play a game for the Trail Blazers since moving back last offseason. There is no doubt that Antetokounmpo has formed incredible relationships with Holiday and Lillard during his star-studded NBA career.
However, at 31, Antetokounmpo is in the business of winning now, and the Trail Blazers don’t have the players or facilities to accommodate one of the league’s all-time greats.
