By Alex KirschenbaumShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberFollowing an encouraging on-court start to their 2025-26 season, the Portland Trail Blazers have fallen back down to earth under interim head coach Tiago Splitter.
Thanks to a lengthening injury report (particularly to two-time All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday, who's been out for the last seven contests), the Trail Blazers have won just two of their last 10 games, and are currently in the midst of a three-game skid. They're 8-13 on the year, and just the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.
But Portland sports an exciting, defense-first identity, and the kind of young talent that should excite any disgruntled superstar looking for a change of scenery.
More news: Bucks Reportedly Linked to Massive Trade for $28 Million Celtics Guard
And that superstar appears to have arrived, in the former of two-time MVP Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who seems to be nearing a breaking point with his current club.
With his own team having fallen to a paltry 9-13 record in the East (the league's unofficial JV conference these days), Antetokounmpo can be forgiven for not seeing much of a future if he sticks with the only NBA franchise he's ever known.
...But he's still putting up huge numbers, averaging 30.6 points on .639/.435/.656 shooting splits (although it's unlikely that 43.5 percent rate from deep will last for the career 28.6 percent 3-point shooter), 10.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks a night.
On Tuesday night, the nine-time All-NBA superstar took some drastic steps to distance himself from Milwaukee. Complex Sports reports that Antetokounmpo ditched all his Bucks-centric Instagram posts aside from items celebrating his 2021 title and his 2024 Emirates NBA Cup victory.
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The Trail Blazers have the youth, defense, depth and draft assets necessary to get into the bidding for Antetokounmpo. As an elite superstar, however, he will likely get to unofficially approve his next destination if he does force the Bucks to trade him away.
After consulting with Spotrac's NBA Trade Machine, Newsweek Sports has calculated a route for Portland to get into the trade mix for Antetokounmpo with a three-team blockbuster.
Trail Blazers Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo (via Bucks), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (via Bucks)
Bucks Receive: Toumani Camara (via Portland), Scoot Henderson (via Portland), Jerami Grant (via Portland), Georges Niang (via Jazz), rights to the Orlando Magic's 2028 first-round pick (via Portland), rights to Milwaukee's own 2028 first-rounder back (via Portland), rights to the Boston Celtics' or the Bucks' own 2029 first via Portland (Trail Blazers currently have the rights to two picks, the most and least favorable between themselves, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee — so now the Trail Blazers would get just their own pick back and the Bucks would choose between the Bucks' own '29 pick and Boston's), Trail Blazers' 2030 first, Trail Blazers' 2032 first, Trail Blazers' 2026 second-round pick, Trail Blazers' 2028 second-rounder, Trail Blazers' 2030 second-rounder
Jazz Receive: Damian Lillard (via Portland), Trail Blazers' 2032 second-round pick
The best player on Portland is small forward Deni Avdija, a triple-double machine who already looks like a borderline All-Star this season. But the Trail Blazers would absolutely want to hang onto Avdija — on a very team-friendly deal — in a deal, to pair him with Antetokounmpo, former 2021 Bucks champion Jrue Holiday, and second-year defense-first center Donovan Clingan.
All-Defensive Team forward Toumani Camara and athletic point guard guard Scoot Henderson (Portland would likely strive to convince Milwaukee to bite on Henderson instead of Shaedon Sharpe, who has looked better as a pro thus far), plus all that pick equity, would be the prizes for Milwaukee.
Both sides would need to hold off on making this deal until Dec. 15, when Lillard and Thanasis Antetokounmpo — who was just signed this past summer and is not a part of Milwauke's rotation — could be moved.
Lillard and Grant, while talented veterans, are essentially included in the deal for contract-matching purposes. Because the Bucks waived Lillard this past summer after July 1 (technically the start of the 2025-26 NBA season), they're not permitted to bring him back, so a third team needs to be brought in.
The Jazz love jumping in as a facilitating team to add draft equity — Lillard, by the way, at his three-year, $41.6 million contract, could still have trade value and be rerouted. The Bucks could retain Grant for the year and seek out a trade in the future, or could opt to shop him to a contender for more draft picks sooner rather than later.
A new Portland core comprising the reunited championship tandem of Antetokounmpo and Holiday, plus Avdija, Clingan, and Sharpe could prove tantalizingly lethal, even in the crowded West. The Trail Blazers would have the athleticism, defensive versatility, and length to compete with anybody. Vets like Niang and former All-Defensive Teamers Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybulle could help round out the revamped club's bench depth. Young pieces like forward Kris Murray and guards Sidy Cissoko, and Caleb Love have shown some promise already, although all are a bit raw.
More news: Heat Urged to Make Blockbuster 6-Player Trade to Focus on Future
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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