Bucks Trade Proposal Lands $160M Star For Khris Middleton

The Milwaukee Bucks are the No. 4 seed in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

Despite a slow 2-9 start, they sit at 20-16 in the midst of a three-game win streak.

Friday night's narrow 109-106 victory saw the Bucks' two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo score 41 points and secure 14 rebounds. The Bucks spoiled the return of Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero, who has been out since Oct. 30.

Things are not bad in Milwaukee, but to compete with the best of the best in the NBA, some changes will have to be made before the trade deadline.

Reese Kunz of the Rip City Project proposed a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers that may provide the piece Milwaukee needs to get them over the top.

Trail Blazers receive: Khris Middleton and a 2031 second-round pick

Bucks receive: Jerami Grant

Grant is younger, more reliable, and even has Damian Lillard experience when the two were in Portland.

The 30-year-old, three years younger than Middleton, provides more spacing with his 15 points per game and a more efficient 38 percent from beyond the arc on 6.4 attempts per game.

Grant is a talent that would likely require a first-round pick to acquire, but the Bucks, already depleted in future picks, would benefit in only giving up a future second.

Middleton is also a surprisingly good fit for the rebuilding Trail Blazers.

The three-time All Star would be an immediate change-maker for the struggling Portland team with his 12.2 points per game. Although they are in rebuilding mode, Middleton has championship experience and can start a new chapter of his career as a veteran leader for the young team.

His contract is also more favorable to Portland, despite a $34 million player option for 2025-25.

Rather than being locked into Grant's five-year $160 million contract that he signed before the start of the 2023-24 season, Portland at worst keeps a key part of a championship team for only one full season.

The Trail Blazers get to rid themselves of a giant contract and expedite their rebuilding efforts and the Bucks get an upgrade at the forward position to help their two superstars.

The superstars in question are enjoying a very positive statistical season.

Antetokounmpo is leading the league in points averaging 31.7 per game while Lillard is averaging 24.9 points per game and his most assists per contest since 2020-21 with 7.4

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