Portland Stands to Profit from the Antetokounmpo Trade

Portland was not part of the blockbuster trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami on Tuesday morning, but the Trail Blazers could still come out ahead later because the deal weakened Milwaukee in the short term. Portland had been involved in talks around the star because it holds future Bucks draft picks, and Milwaukee had hoped to get those picks back in a trade of this kind.

Instead, Portland will keep Milwaukee’s first-round picks in 2028, 2029 and 2030 if those selections are higher than Portland’s own picks in those years. The Bucks received a substantial package for the Greek star, but the article says they are likely to struggle to compete in the coming years, which should make those draft assets more valuable.

Sports Illustrated argued that the Blazers should celebrate the move because they may end up as “the big winners” of the trade. The magazine said Portland’s future draft capital has risen in value as Milwaukee enters what it called a real rebuild, giving the Blazers more leverage in future trade talks for another major player.

Fan pages in Portland echoed that view, saying that even without landing Antetokounmpo, the trade is still a huge win because Milwaukee’s picks are now far more valuable and at minimum provide Portland with additional trade assets down the road.