RealGM

This is one off-season too soon, but maybe calling my shot early. Giannis has two guaranteed years left, a PO in 27-28 that he's most certainly declining, barring some un-forseen circumstances. So next off-season:

Grant/Scoot/Avdija + All the Bucks picks back for Giannis, if the team does not do well. Allows the Bucks to reset completely.

I don't even know if it makes sense from a Blazer's perspective, but the timelines for all the contracts line up pretty well for a move like this:

1. Dame will be coming back in 26-27.
2. Giannis will effectively be an expiring in 26-27. If the Bucks do not play well next season he has to be evaluating options, and that would artificially deflate his value.
3. Portland is uniquely positioned to allow Milwaukee to do a complete reset that season, since they own the Bucks draft picks for 3 seasons thereafter.

It will take more than that, but I like where your head is at.

I hate this like poison.

JRoy wrote:I hate this like poison.

God damnit now it's going to happen.

JRoy wrote:I hate this like poison.

You hate a lineup of:
Jrue/Lillard
Shaedon/(Thybulle?)
Camara
Giannis
Clingan/Yang

???

That’s the best defensive front court in the league plus plenty of offensive firepower. With championship aspirations plus extra Chinese marketing appeal, Blazers would actually for once have a chance to successfully recruit additional players to fill needs.

Any trade needs to return one high level player/prospect and this trade does not. If all it took was picks OKC could offer a dozen plus salary.

Myth wrote:

JRoy wrote:I hate this like poison.

You hate a lineup of:
Jrue/Lillard
Shaedon/(Thybulle?)
Camara
Giannis
Clingan/Yang

???

That’s the best defensive front court in the league plus plenty of offensive firepower. With championship aspirations plus extra Chinese marketing appeal, Blazers would actually for once have a chance to successfully recruit additional players to fill needs.

I think several of those guys would be in MIL if such a deal were made.

JRoy wrote:

Myth wrote:

JRoy wrote:I hate this like poison.

You hate a lineup of:
Jrue/Lillard
Shaedon/(Thybulle?)
Camara
Giannis
Clingan/Yang

???

That’s the best defensive front court in the league plus plenty of offensive firepower. With championship aspirations plus extra Chinese marketing appeal, Blazers would actually for once have a chance to successfully recruit additional players to fill needs.

I think several of those guys would be in MIL if such a deal were made.

I thought you hated OP’s deal like poison, which didn’t include any of those guys.

Myth wrote:

JRoy wrote:

Myth wrote:You hate a lineup of:
Jrue/Lillard
Shaedon/(Thybulle?)
Camara
Giannis
Clingan/Yang

???

That’s the best defensive front court in the league plus plenty of offensive firepower. With championship aspirations plus extra Chinese marketing appeal, Blazers would actually for once have a chance to successfully recruit additional players to fill needs.

I think several of those guys would be in MIL if such a deal were made.

I thought you hated OP’s deal like poison, which didn’t include any of those guys.

I don’t think that OP deal works for MIL. I think that any deal that might possibly (not likely) work for MIL would guy the team.

JRoy wrote:

Myth wrote:

JRoy wrote:I hate this like poison.

You hate a lineup of:
Jrue/Lillard
Shaedon/(Thybulle?)
Camara
Giannis
Clingan/Yang

???

That’s the best defensive front court in the league plus plenty of offensive firepower. With championship aspirations plus extra Chinese marketing appeal, Blazers would actually for once have a chance to successfully recruit additional players to fill needs.

I think several of those guys would be in MIL if such a deal were made.

OP's point was about if it DID'T require that.
FWIW, you are probably breaking Jrue up into other pieces, but that's a different story.

I totally expect Portland to acquire Giannis next summer. It will be interesting to see what the package looks like.

Bucks and Giannis aren't interested. Why would Giannis want to play in Portland? Seems like a weird choice if he decided to leave.

Don’t want Portland’s poo poo pile and Giannis wouldn’t want to be there either

One_and_Done wrote:Bucks and Giannis aren't interested. Why would Giannis want to play in Portland? Seems like a weird choice if he decided to leave.

Giannis may still be close with Dame, who could have talked them up as a city for 2 years. Portland was identified as Giannis’ top choice if he left the Bucks prior to Dame going to Milwaukee. Jrue is also there. If the remaining team feels like he could contend while being with his buddies, I don’t think it is out of reason. Plus as I have been pointing out, Yang is expected to bring a large Chinese viewing, which creates marketing opportunities not usually available in Portland.

Myth wrote:

One_and_Done wrote:Bucks and Giannis aren't interested. Why would Giannis want to play in Portland? Seems like a weird choice if he decided to leave.

Giannis may still be close with Dame, who could have talked them up as a city for 2 years. Portland was identified as Giannis’ top choice if he left the Bucks prior to Dame going to Milwaukee. Jrue is also there. If the remaining team feels like he could contend while being with his buddies, I don’t think it is out of reason. Plus as I have been pointing out, Yang is expected to bring a large Chinese viewing, which creates marketing opportunities not usually available in Portland.

This sounds like a pipe dream. I doubt Giannis goes anywhere, but if he does I promise it won't be to Portland. More likely he'd go to NY.

vxmike wrote:Any trade needs to return one high level player/prospect and this trade does not. If all it took was picks OKC could offer a dozen plus salary.

Given we're talking about Milwaukee's own picks vs other picks, and given Giannis would be an expiring at that point, it's got merit for Milwaukee.

So.. Deni to Atlanta for Risacher and the 2026 NOP/Mil first? Maybe Atl gets some extra value back on top of that?

Mil gets a one year tank, a youth group of Scoot/Zac/2026 first plus whatever else Portland adds..

jayjaysee wrote:So.. Deni to Atlanta for Risacher and the 2026 NOP/Mil first? Maybe Atl gets some extra value back on top of that?

Mil gets a one year tank, a youth group of Scoot/Zac/2026 first plus whatever else Portland adds..

Absolutely not for Atlanta.

One_and_Done wrote:

Myth wrote:

One_and_Done wrote:Bucks and Giannis aren't interested. Why would Giannis want to play in Portland? Seems like a weird choice if he decided to leave.

Giannis may still be close with Dame, who could have talked them up as a city for 2 years. Portland was identified as Giannis’ top choice if he left the Bucks prior to Dame going to Milwaukee. Jrue is also there. If the remaining team feels like he could contend while being with his buddies, I don’t think it is out of reason. Plus as I have been pointing out, Yang is expected to bring a large Chinese viewing, which creates marketing opportunities not usually available in Portland.

This sounds like a pipe dream. I doubt Giannis goes anywhere, but if he does I promise it won't be to Portland. More likely he'd go to NY.

Oh, I totally don’t expect it. I’m just giving the reasons why if he were to, and I believe it is a smidge more realistic of a pipe dream than it was before Lillard was traded to the Bucks.