The Portland Trail Blazers are rumored to be active buyers at the upcoming NBA Trade Deadline and may have their sights set on New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges. That speculation was put forth by Jake Fischer in the latest substack from NBA media analyst Marc Stein [subscription required].
The reputed angle for the Blazers would be facilitating a deal between the Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks for MVP-level forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Fischer writes:
Something to file away: Portland is definitely
a team to track here when it comes to eventual Antetokounmpo outcomes.
No one is suggesting that a trade to the Trail Blazers is a scenario that the Giannis Camp would push for, but Portland still controls Milwaukee’s draft capital in 2028, 2029 and 2030 thanks to the teams’ Jrue Holiday-for-Damian Lillard swap. And I’m told Blazers officials have always viewed Antetokounmpo’s potential Milwaukee exit as a chance to improve their own roster by jumping into a multi-team deal.
So there is absolutely a down-the-road world where the Blazers could try to butt into, say, Milwaukee/New York talks if Giannis-to-the-Knicks ever got serious. File this away as well: League sources say Portland has long admired New York’s Mikal Bridges going back to Lillard’s first stint as a Blazer.
I must also share, furthermore, that league sources have painted the Blazers as potential buyers during this Trade Season, with Portland said to be looking to be opportunistic before the onrushing deadline to help its playoff push.
The 29-year-old Bridges is now in his second season with the Knicks. He’s averaging 16 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 35 minutes per game, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from the three-point arc. He’s on a deal that runs through 2030 with a player option, ranging from $33.5 million to $41.5 million per season.
