Giannis Antetokounmpo could be getting a chance to run it back … in the Pacific Northwest.
The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to emerge as a “prime trade suitor” for the unhappy Milwaukee Bucks star Antetokounmpo this summer, veteran NBA writer Jake Fischer reported to Substack on Saturday. Fischer notes that this will be the first offseason in charge of new Blazers owner Tom Dundon.
Portland is an up-and-coming young team that somewhat surprisingly won 42 games this season and made their playoff trip since 2021. Next season, they will also be getting back Antetokounmpo’s former Milwaukee Bucks co-star Damian Lillard, who sat out all of the 2025-26 season while recovering from an Achilles tear.
Antetokounmpo and Lillard were teammates in Milwaukee from 2023-25. The two shared a close relationship, and Antetokounmpo was notably unhappy with the Bucks over the 2025 move to stretch-and-waive an injured Lillard.
Meanwhile, there are a couple of other interesting layers here with Antetokounmpo. He also won a championship in 2021 with current Blazers guard Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee, and there was even some talk at the February trade deadline that Lillard was pushing for Antetokounmpo in Portland.
The former NBA MVP Antetokounmpo will have no shortage of trade suitors this offseason and recently had a surprise team mentioned in connection with him. But with a mix of youth, assets, and connections on their side, the Blazers might just be as strong of a trade contender as any.
