Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be the most commonly discussed player in trade rumors for all of June.
While the Miami Heat have long been linked as a frontrunner, another team has emerged in pursuit of Antetokounmpo: the Portland Trail Blazers, as NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in his latest Substack.
“More and more, with sources saying Miami and Portland are already in pursuit, Antetokounmpo’s future is increasingly expected to be resolved over the next few weeks in conjunction with NBA Draft proceedings,” Stein wrote.
The Heat still figure to be the frontrunners, but the Trail Blazers’ pursuit seems a bit surprising. On one hand, new owner Tom Dundon has left many scratching their heads after he laid off approximately 70 employees and underwent a series of cost-cutting moves.
Now, the Trail Blazers acquiring Antetokounmpo would be a big risk, especially since their chances of keeping him long-term figure to be very low.
Before the trade deadline, the Trail Blazers were also linked as a suitor. Any such trade would likely involve Jerami Grant and former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson.
An Antetokounmpo trade to Portland would also reunite him with Damian Lillard, as the two were teammates for a time in Milwaukee.
The Bucks have reportedly been hoping to have an Antetokounmpo trade done before the NBA Draft, if they decide to move on from him.
