The Philadelphia 76ers are probably not going to be on deck for a blockbuster deal this offseason. Be that as it may, this team actually has some interest in some of the trade fronts expected to take center stage this summer. Case in point? Look no further the expected bidding war for Giannis Antetokounmpo, which will have a drastic impact on the landscape of the league as a whole.
The latest rumor, however, operates to favor the 76ers if it follows through. As reported, the Portland Trail Blazers are showing serious interest in trading for the two-time league MVP. Now, how does that affect the 76ers? Well, if Giannis does end up heading Northwest, that would finally take him out of the Eastern Conference and make life easier for Philly moving forward.
The consensus belief is that the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes will be the most defining feature of the coming offseason, and that proposition is certainly well grounded. He has gotten into a full breakdown with the Bucks, and Milwaukee's brain trust has no choice but to ship him away for a colossal haul and kickstart an overdue rebuild.
The 76ers quietly benefit from the latest Giannis trade rumor
As NBA insider Marc Stein pointed out (subscription required), the Blazers have turned out to be one of the most aggressive teams in the Giannis trade pursuit. That makes a lot of sense for Portland since they have a robust collection of assets consisting of salary matchers, young players, and draft capital to entice Milwaukee into a possible blockbuster swap.
The Trail Blazers easily exceeded expectations this season, even sneaking into the playoffs in the jampacked Western Conference. While they were easily sacked by the San Antonio Spurs in five games, there is no disputing the fact that they are going to be in the running for the playoffs moving forward.
While a full-on youth movement will favor them more, the Blazers have way too much veteran juice to just bottom out. That is probably why they are being aggressive for Giannis. With Damian Lillard set to return next season, another partnership with the Greek Freak could just be what they need to win now while augmenting the prospects of their younger studs.
Obviously, the 76ers are not privy to all these, but the Eastern Conference will only get tougher from here on out with Jayson Tatum getting healthier and the Indiana Pacers returning to full capacity next season. As such, getting someone like Giannis to jump ship out West will be good for Philly's chances. After all, the prospect of him going to, say, Boston, Miami, or New York will only make the 76ers' rivals even more formidable.
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