Blazers Might Be Biggest Winners in Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Giannis Antetokounmpo is going from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat, but the Portland Trail Blazers might have come out of this as the big winner.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks around following the game against the Brooklyn Nets. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers and the rest of the NBA are watching as the landscape of the league is changing with Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat.

In the move, Antetokounmpo and longtime teammate Bobby Portis are going to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-round selection. ESPN insider Shams Charania was the first to report the news.

BLOCKBUSTER: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NQT5ZhdJU9

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026

While the Blazers are sitting far away in the Western Conference, they should be celebrating this deal about as much as anyone except for Heat fans.

Blazers' Future Draft Capital Skyrockets in Value After Giannis Trade

The Blazers have pick swaps with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030, two years in which the Bucks aren't expected to be very good. They also have the most favorable of their own pick, the Boston Celtics', and the Bucks', giving them three straight years of value-added picks now that Giannis is no longer with Milwaukee.

The Blazers were viewed as a potential third team to facilitate the trade because Portland held these picks. A trade would have been more likely if they had taken the offer the Celtics were offering, which was Jaylen Brown and future draft picks. In a potential deal, Brown would have been rerouted to Portland for their pick swaps back, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Jerami Grant.

While the Blazers are no longer expected to have Brown on the roster, they now have more flexibility with these highly sought-after draft picks. With Milwaukee entering a true rebuild, Portland has a lot of power. The next time a major player is up on the trade market, the Blazers might be viewed as one of the favorites to land him because they have these picks.

The Blazers can be aggressive this offseason when it comes to acquiring some top-tier talent. If they hold on to these picks and wait for the Bucks to bottom out in the league, the value on these selections will only grow, giving the Blazers a better chance to land stronger capital in a future deal.

It remains to be seen what the Blazers will do next on the trade market, especially without any picks in this year's draft. The options are endless as they try to build a true contender in the Pacific Northwest.

The 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Each night begins selecting at 5 p.m. PT.