NBA insider Chris Haynes says Portland is “very interested” in acquiring Antetokounmpo and believes the Bucks star will consider the Trail Blazers as a destination.
Portland, Oregon— Portland Trail Blazers Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has emerged as a potential suitor, with NBA insider Chris Haynes reporting that the team has “strong interest” in a trade and that Antetokounmpo will consider the Portland Trail Blazers if negotiations get serious.
Haynes, a longtime NBA reporter, discussed Antetokounmpo’s potential landing spots on “NBA” this week. Trade and Dunk Podcast. Zach Harper, another NBA insider and co-host of the podcast, said the teams he hears most often as contenders for Antetokounmpo are the Miami Heat and New York Knicks.
Haynes also identified one of the “mystery teams”: the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I heard the Trail Blazers were very interested in doing a deal to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo to bring back the All-Star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard,” Haynes said. “I heard there’s a lot of interest in Portland and they’re looking into it behind the scenes to try to figure out something that makes sense.”
At 31 years old, Antetokounmpo remains one of the NBA’s elite players. The two-time MVP averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season and was selected to his 10th consecutive All-Star appearance.
Antetokounmpo has signed a contract and will earn $58.5 million next season. He can also opt out after the 2026-27 season. Teams interested in acquiring him may want to believe he’s willing to sign an extension given the massive trade package required to complete a deal.
Still, Haynes said Portland shouldn’t be immediately considered a potential destination.
“I do believe that if Portland were to come up with something very serious, I believe Giannis would at least consider it. It wouldn’t be a situation where he would, you know, throw it in the trash. I think it would be a situation where he would consider it,” Haynes said.
Harper noted that Portland has several interesting young players that could be included in a trade package. He also said the Trail Blazers control Milwaukee’s draft assets from 2028 to 2030, including swap rights in 2028 and 2030 and the Bucks’ 2029 first-round pick.
Potential trade packages could start with Shaedon Sharpe, a Milwaukee draft asset controlled by the Portland Trail Blazers, and Jerami Grant or Jrue Holiday to help match salary. The Trail Blazers could also include additional assets such as Scott Henderson or Orlando’s unprotected 2028 first-round pick, which Portland owns.
