Blazers Land $31M Star in Massive Blockbuster Trade Proposal

Matt Levine | Nov 21, 2024

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers hold a record of 6-9 on the new NBA season and they have shown more fight than many expected. Portland finished last season with a record of 21-61 and it saw them land in last place within the Western Conference standings.

While the Trail Blazers aren't likely to contend for a playoff spot, the team could elect to make some moves to position themselves better. Portland has a few veteran players on their roster who they could trade to net additional assets for the future.

One of those is veteran forward Jerami Grant who multiple teams inquired about during the offseason. But the Trail Blazers could elect to still move Grant to help their cause down the line.

In a new proposed trade by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, Portland makes a massive trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. The deal has the Trail Blazers sending Grant to the Bucks for forward Khris Middleton and a 2031 first-round draft pick.

Middleton has missed the start of this season due to injury but he is on his way to returning soon. He has been a crucial piece to the success of the Bucks over the past few seasons.

The veteran helped Milwaukee win the NBA title in 2021, providing tough defense and shot making. He could be an asset to a younger Trail Blazers team, even if only with them for a short time.

Last season, he averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 reboinds, and 5.3 assists per game. Middleton also averaged 38.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line a year ago.

Portland landing Middleton could give them a little more firepower but ultimantly, this move would be about getting off Grant's longer contract. Middleton is owed $31 million this season and then has a $34 million player option for next year.

Grant has four more seasons on the books so Portland could heavily save with this deal. They would also land a future first-round pick that could end up being valuable if the Bucks were to fall from contention toward the end of the decade.

Portland could either allow Middleton to play alongside the young core that they have established or they could look to flip him. This deal could open up multiple possibilities for the Trail Blazers so it's certainly something that the front office should look into.

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