Can the Trail Blazers also compete for Giannis? US media presents a 6-for-2 trade proposal: sending away Klingenberg and Lowry

On December 6th Beijing time, trade rumors about Giannis are increasing. Renowned US media CBS Sports mentioned the Portland Trail Blazers as a dark horse team in the race for Giannis. CBS also outlined a 6-for-2 trade plan including Klingenberg and Lowry among the assets Portland would send out.

The detailed 6-for-2 trade proposal has the Trail Blazers acquiring Giannis and Turner, while sending out Henderson, Klingenberg, Grant, Lowry, Sable, and the best of the 2029 first-round picks held by the Trail Blazers (from Portland, Milwaukee, and Boston). Additionally, Portland would give up their right to swap first-round picks with Milwaukee in 2028 and 2030.

CBS’s analysis of this proposal is as follows—

Among all draft picks, none is more valuable than your own first-round pick. You can’t force other teams to tank deliberately, but if you are determined, making your own team lose to tank is quite easy. The Trail Blazers are frequently mentioned as the “trade facilitator” in this potential deal—they hold Milwaukee’s first-round picks in 2028, 2029, and 2030. If someone can help Milwaukee regain these picks, it would greatly accelerate the completion of the trade. Such deals can have many interesting combinations; for example, imagine the Lakers fully pursuing Giannis: Reeves happens to be the kind of scorer Portland desperately needs.

But what if the Trail Blazers decide to “go all in” themselves and chase this superstar? Currently, Portland is not considered a strong contender for the championship, at least not yet. However, the team has two former teammates very familiar with Giannis: Holiday and Lillard. Lillard may miss much of this season but is likely to return in some form next year. Avdija is visibly progressing towards All-Star level, and Kamara just made the All-Defensive team. If Shed Sharp regains his consistent three-point shooting, and Giannis is willing to stay in Portland (though this is unlikely), the Blazers might actually build a highly competitive squad.

For Milwaukee, however, this trade means more than just rebuilding. It offers a chance to closely evaluate two promising young players to determine if they can be the long-term core of the team. Henderson hasn’t developed into a cornerstone point guard in Portland, but there are precedents of high draft pick guards flourishing after moving to their second team; Klingenberg is one of the league’s best young rim protectors. Though these two players may not be as eye-catching as other stars discussed before, the combination of draft picks offered by Portland is the key asset in this trade, carrying crucial value support.

Of course, the likelihood of Portland actively pursuing Giannis is low, but this “battle for Giannis” is turning into a fascinating test of boldness. Milwaukee is determined to reclaim its own draft picks, which is their only real path to rebuilding, and the Blazers are well aware of this, so they will demand a high price before agreeing.

However, Milwaukee also has the ability to reduce the value of these picks significantly through a suitable trade—if they acquire a group of quality young talents or another All-Star, they can win enough games to lower the draft position of these picks. The Blazers want Milwaukee to still be in rebuilding pain toward the end of the decade, not a team that consistently wins. Therefore, Portland will closely monitor every step of the trade’s progress.

The Giannis and Lillard pairing didn’t succeed in Milwaukee, but perhaps it could find new life in Portland. Lillard spent years trying to convince star-level players to join the Blazers but repeatedly failed. If Portland can use the draft picks acquired by trading away Lillard to get the greatest player in the history of Lillard’s former team, the drama and irony of this scenario will surely be a hot topic among fans.