Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is fouled by Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors driving to the basket against Jimmy Butler
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is fouled by Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors driving to the basket against Jimmy Butler
Count the Golden State Warriors among the many teams that have been tugging at the sleeve of the Milwaukee Bucks when it comes to potentially making a trade for star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the former two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star whose relationship with the Bucks has slowly and very publicly deteriorated over the past year in front of cameras and microphones, splashed constantly on social media.
All the while, though, Antetokounmpo has refused to ask for a trade, and the Bucks have refused to seek one. On Wednesday, the standoff appeared ready to collapse, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen, league sources tell ESPN.”
The Warriors have harbored dreams of bringing Antetokounmpo to the Bay Area for years, especially hoping to pair his size and defensive skill in the middle with Stephen Curry‘s perimeter wizardry, creating a tandem of two of the biggest game-changing freak players in NBA history. Certainly, Antetokounmpo has expressed a fascination with playing with Curry.
Warriors Would Need to Send Out Jimmy Butler
It’s later than the Warriors would have imagined, but there’s still a very good chance that Antetokounmpo could land with Golden State in a mega-deal–but it’s just a particularly slim chance, it seems.
To make it happen, the Warriors would need to make a decision the team does not particularly want to make: Either Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler would need to be included. Green is a franchise stalwart and a Curry ally whom the Dubs have resisted dealing away before. Butler has been a loyal soldier, too, and it would be an especially bad look to deal him away just after he tore his ACL last week.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Salary Matches Jimmy Butler
But with Antetokounmpo’s salary set at $54 million for next year, the Warriors would need either Butler’s number ($54 million) or Green’s number ($25.5 million) to match salaries, and that would likely hold true even in a multi-team trade.
“It would take them doing something ugly, either you trade Draymond or you push out Butler,” one Eastern Conference GM said. “There’s no other way to get there without swallowing hard and making that choice. If you trade Butler, and that’s probably where they’d go, the Warriors have a chance because they can send back young guys and take back bad salary off the Bucks’ hands.
“And the Warriors have picks, they can sweeten it with picks.”
Warriors Would Take PR Hit for Giannis Antetkounmpo
A deal built around Butler would allow the Warriors to include the trio of Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, with Golden State taking back Myles Turner, too, and the four-year, $100 million commitment Milwaukee would like to wriggle out of.
At least another two first-rounders going to the Bucks would probably be required. And again, a framework like this would gradually bring in other teams and allow both sides to tinker with the return. But three solid young players, picks and future cap relief give the Warriors a good chance at a credible offer.
It would be tough for the Warriors to trade Butler, and it would be a bad look. But a chance at Antetokounmpo is one that can’t be missed.