The Golden State Warriors have been connected to a potential blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo quite a bit over the last few months.
Now, it appears that the situation between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo continues to move towards a trade. While Milwaukee could hold onto the superstar until the offseason when it knows what draft picks teams have to offer, there is a chance a deal could get done before the February 5 NBA trade deadline.
Over the last couple of years, the Warriors have been rumored to be monitoring Antetokounmpo’s situation with the Bucks. At this point in time, they’re viewed as one of the potential front-runners to acquire him if he’s made available.
Keeping that in mind, a new update has been shared about Golden State’s chances of trading for Antetokounmpo.
According to a report from ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, the Warriors appear to be in the drivers seat for a trade with Milwaukee.
“Everyone else is gonna have to try to beat a strong Golden State offer [for Giannis] if it comes,” Windhorst said.
Basically, if Golden State decides to make an aggressive offer for Antetokounmpo, it would be difficult for other teams to beat them out.
Making a trade for Antetokounmpo seems much more likely now for the Warriors than it did even a few weeks ago. With Jimmy Butler going down for the season due to a torn ACL, Golden State badly needs to bring in a running mate for Stephen Curry. If the Warriors can’t do that before the deadline, this could go down as a wasted season.
Curry doesn’t have a lot of time left as one of the league’s premier superstars. Going out and trading for Antetokounmpo would give him the superstar power to make another push for an NBA Finals run.
So far this season with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo has played in 30 games. He has averaged 28 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks, while also shooting 64.5 percent from the floor.
Antetokounmpo has missed more time due to injury this season. Right now, he’s dealing with a calf injury.
Expect to hear more rumors about Antetokounmpo in the coming days ahead of the deadline. The Warriors are going to be one of the most talked about potential trade suitors for him.
Newsweek