The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs for the first time with this young core. It was good for them to get some postseason experience, even if they were handled easily by the Spurs. It was a good start to what they hope will be a contending team in the future.
Portland has been mentioned as a stealth team to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. They have young players they can send to Milwaukee, and they own some of their first-round picks. That makes them an attractive team to trade with from their perspective.
Now, the Blazers have gotten some bad news on a potential trade for the All-NBA forward.
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Trail Blazers get Bad News from NBA Insiders on a Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
According to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, it is unlikely that Antetokounmpo will be traded to Portland because he prefers to play in the East. That means that any hope of Portland getting in on the sweepstakes is very low at this point.
Adding Antetokounmpo would certainly make the Trail Blazers a much better team in the West. It could even make them a top-four team. Even so, it wouldn’t make them a title contender. Ultimately, that’s what Antetokounmpo is looking for, so this likely isn’t the place for him.
Portland still has to figure out how to get to the next level. If they can’t add Antetokounmpo, they could go after another high-level player. Scoot Henderson is their best trade chip, as he still has a lot of talent, even if his career has been a bit of a roller coaster.
There are some teams that would be willing to give up a really good player based on the potential that Henderson has. Of course, the Trail Blazers could decide to just keep Henderson and hope he develops that potential with them. That would be the most financially sound move.
GettyPortland Trail Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter reacts during a game. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
The Blazers Still Need a Head Coach
Before Portland does anything with the roster, they still need to find a head coach. It seems unlikely that they will give Tiago Splitter the job, since they have reached out to various other coaches around the league. That is the biggest priority for the organization at this point.
Once they find a new head coach, they can figure out what players best fit that coach’s system. New owner Tom Dundon seems determined to find one who will take the cheapest contract possible, so this could go on for a while. Portland is not close to finalizing a contract with someone.
The Trail Blazers have a good mix of veteran and young players. However, they need a superstar to truly help them advance in the playoffs. Once they figure out the head coaching situation, they can canvass the league for a guy who fits that bill.
Trail Blazers Get Unfortunate Giannis Antetokounmpo Update from Insiders