Joe Cronin and the Portland Trail Blazers may not be done haunting the Miami Heat. According to recent reporting, the Blazers have expressed interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo in recent days.
And if they're serious about taking the gamble, they're a team that could blow away the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and the Heat in any bidding war for Giannis ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Blazers could trade up to three first-round picks in any deal for Giannis, in addition to including some intriguing young talent, such as Scoot Henderson, in any deal. However, what's most intriguing about a potential Blazers offer is the fact that they control Milwaukee's first-round picks in 2028 and 2030.
That, perhaps more than anything, could be the big lure in the Bucks' willingness to listen to Portland's potential offer for Giannis.
Will Giannis have a say in where he gets traded?
Of course, the big question is, would Giannis welcome a trade to Portland? Does it even matter? Would the Blazers still take the gamble if he wouldn't?
Quite frankly, this is a factor that could end up deciding the Giannis sweepstakes - beyond just Portland. And I'm not sure this has been definitely answered yet.
Are the Bucks just looking for the best offer for Giannis, or are they considering where he would want to go? Or perhaps a mix between both. It's an honest question that absolutely needs answering before we move further into speculation about the Blazers' chances.
This would be a disaster scenario for the Heat
If there's even a small chance that the Blazers could swoop in at the last minute, right under their watch, this would certainly set up for a disaster scenario for the Heat.
Let's remember the Heat's history with Cronin. This is the general manager who reportedly refused to negotiate with the Heat on a Damian Lillard trade a few years ago, when the superstar guard made it clear he wanted to be moved to Miami.
He's also the general manager who practically gift-wrapped the Boston Celtics a championship back in 2024 by sending a stacked team Jrue Holiday, via trade during the offseason.
Cronin has haunted the Heat fan base of late, and could have another laugh at their expense if he could find a way to barge into the Giannis sweepstakes.
Missing out on Giannis, period, would be difficult enough for the Heat to overcome. However, if they were to miss out on Giannis because of Cronin and the Blazers...I'm not sure if they'd be able to ever live that down.