Why Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade to Blazers Might Not Happen

The Portland Trail Blazers have reason to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they also have things holding them back from a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the dark horse teams in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, largely due to the franchise's desire to win sooner rather than later.

The Blazers make sense as the next destination for Antetokounmpo's career because he can play alongside Damian Lillard, whom he shared the court with for two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. There is also potential for Jrue Holiday to remain with the team, and he helped the Bucks win the 2021 NBA championship alongside Antetokounmpo.

However, there is one major hurdle when it comes to the Blazers trading for Antetokounmpo, and it could be enough to end all possibilities of a deal happening.

"Another team, Portland, is sniffing around. I'm not sure that Giannis is extending in Portland," ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective.

“Portland has sniffed around. I'm not sure that Giannis is extending in Portland.” - @WindhorstESPN

Via @espn The Hoop Collective: https://t.co/HUsZrtFfSq pic.twitter.com/AYQnMSAC7e

— Dru (@dru_star) June 10, 2026

Giannis Antetokounmpo Needs Contract Extension After Trade

Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $175 million extension in 2023 that has him covered from 2025 to 2028. He is currently in the second year of that deal, where he is scheduled to make $58 million next year. He has a player option worth $62 million that he can opt out of and sign a new deal that could keep him on a roster throughout the rest of his career.

Here's a look at Antetokounmpo's current contract:

Year	Salary
2025-26	$54,126,450
2026-27	$58,456,566
2027-28	$62,786,682 (player option)

The fact that Antetokounmpo could enter free agency next offseason should motivate the Bucks to trade him at some point during the summer. The Bucks want to make sure they get some value from him in return. This is the time to get a deal done. If the Blazers press hard enough and they are interested, they could make it happen, but they will have to have some idea that Giannis is willing to sign a long-term deal upon arrival in Portland.

It might not be the wisest thing for the Blazers to hitch their wagon to a player who is possibly past his prime, especially considering he missed 46 games this season, the most in his career. Antetokounmpo has been relatively healthy throughout his career, missing no more than 20 games in any year with the Bucks.

However, things could all change if and when he moves on from Milwaukee. Portland is in a delicate position as a new playoff hopeful where the next move is incredibly important. If they take the right step, it could lead to prolonged success in the Western Conference for years to come, but the wrong step could push themselves right back to the lottery with a compromised future if they make a splashy trade.