Giannis Antetokounmpo, Warriors
Getty
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks.
While the NBA remains consumed by trade speculation surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Golden State Warriors are operating on parallel tracks as the Feb. 5 deadline approaches.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is currently overseas on a scouting trip, signaling that Golden State is simultaneously pursuing immediate upgrades while preparing for longer-term roster pathways.
Dunleavy Scouts in New Zealand Amid Deadline Uncertainty
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dunleavy is in Auckland, New Zealand, evaluating draft-eligible talent in the NBL.
“Yeah, it’s interesting,” Slater said Friday on NBA Today. “Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy is actually in New Zealand. He was at a game yesterday in Auckland between two potential lottery picks, which tells you that while he’s making a ton of calls — and he’s probably the driver of this pursuit — he’s also making alternative plans. They may use that 2026 draft capital, and he needs to try to identify players he could potentially use that on.”
Golden State owns up to four first-round picks it can include in a potential blockbuster trade, including a 2026 selection that is currently projected in the middle of the first round at Tankathon.
Karim Lopez Breaks Out With Warriors GM Courtside
Dunleavy was seated courtside as 18-year-old Mexican forward Karim Lopez delivered a breakout performance for the New Zealand Breakers in a 97–95 upset of Melbourne United.
Lopez erupted for 19 fourth-quarter points and finished with a career-high 32 points on 11-of-13 shooting, adding eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. The 6-foot-9 forward is part of the NBL’s Next Stars program and ranks No. 11 on ESPN’s most recent Top 100 prospects board.
“The hold-up for some scouts is his limited burst and ability to separate on the perimeter, as well as concerns defensively,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo wrote in December. “Those traits likely make him best suited as a stretch-four long-term.”
Dash Daniels Also Evaluated in Auckland
The game also featured Australian guard Dash Daniels, the younger brother of reigning Most Improved Player of the Year Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks.
Daniels, 18, did not score in the contest but finished with two rebounds for Melbourne United. He is ranked No. 26 on ESPN’s Top 100 prospects list and is considered one of the top perimeter defenders in his age group, though his offensive development remains a work in progress.
Dunleavy’s presence at the game allowed the Warriors to evaluate two projected first-round talents in person as they weigh whether to deploy draft capital in a trade or retain picks for the post–Stephen Curry era.
Warriors Maintain Pressure in Giannis Talks
Despite Dunleavy’s overseas travel, Golden State remains actively engaged in Antetokounmpo discussions, according to Slater.
“League sources told ESPN that the Warriors have contacted the Bucks in the past week and expressed their firm interest in Antetokounmpo and their willingness to put a substantial offer on the table regardless of his calf strain and undetermined return timetable,” Slater reported Thursday.
Multiple reports have indicated that nearly every Warriors player except Stephen Curry could be discussed in trade scenarios.
Kerr: No Offers Yet, Deadline Likely Goes to the Wire
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Dunleavy has kept him informed but downplayed claims that firm offers have been exchanged.
“I talk to Mike pretty much every day, and he keeps me up to speed,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs. “But honestly, what he told me the other day was that everything’s going to go ’til the last second. There literally hasn’t been a single thing where he’s called me and said, ‘So-and-so offered this or that.’ Not one thing.”
Kerr emphasized that much of the current speculation remains fluid.
“It’s all speculation at this point,” Kerr said. “It’s going to go down to the wire.”
As the trade deadline nears, Dunleavy’s presence abroad underscores Golden State’s balancing act: aggressively exploring a franchise-altering trade while quietly preparing for a future that may hinge on draft capital and global scouting.