Giannis Antetokounmpo, Warriors
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is fouled by Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors may hold the cleanest path to a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline — but one critical question remains unanswered.
Does Giannis actually want to be there?
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Golden State’s front office is increasingly aware that Antetokounmpo’s enthusiasm for relocating to the Bay Area cannot be taken for granted, even as the Warriors assemble one of the strongest trade packages available.
“League sources say that Golden State is aware of recent rumblings that Antetokounmpo can’t be assumed to be as eager as he was once perceived to be to relocate to Stephen Curry’s town and team,” Fischer wrote Monday in The Stein Line. “How credible are such rumblings? Presumably only Giannis knows for sure.”
Giannis’ Fit With Warriors Raises Perception Concerns
Giannis Antetokounpo, Stephen Curry, Warriors
GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives around Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fischer reported that some league insiders believe Antetokounmpo could have reservations about joining an aging Warriors core led by Stephen Curry, as well as the scrutiny that would come with teaming up with a franchise icon.
“There is suspicion that Antetokounmpo could be turned off by the idea of joining an older team and/or facing the sort of criticism that Kevin Durant continues to absorb to this day about teaming up with Curry,” Fischer wrote.
That perception matters.
While Golden State can offer Milwaukee unmatched draft capital and roster flexibility, league executives believe the Warriors are unwilling to push all their chips in unless Antetokounmpo signals openness to a long-term commitment.
Knicks, Timberwolves Long Seen as Preferred Destinations
Antetokounmpo’s hesitancy contrasts with past reporting that pointed elsewhere.
Last summer, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo viewed the New York Knicks as a preferred destination. The Bucks star was drawn by the opportunity to end the franchise’s 50-plus-year championship drought, according to Fischer.
That same appeal now applies to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Ditto for the concept of joining the championship-starved Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards as the difference-making force that enables the Wolves to finally get over the hump,” Fischer added.
Minnesota, New York Face Steep Trade Obstacles
Despite that interest, both Minnesota and New York face significant challenges in meeting Milwaukee’s demands.
According to Charania, Bucks are widely believed to be seeking “blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks” — a price neither team can easily assemble without extensive multi-team involvement.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Monday that the Timberwolves are actively recruiting additional teams to enhance their proposal.
“They’re out there recruiting third and fourth teams to try to improve their offer to see if they can get Giannis,” Windhorst said on NBA Today. “If they don’t — which I think is a long shot — you could see them making a backup deal.”
New York, meanwhile, appears hesitant to escalate.
“The Knicks believe in this team,” Windhorst reported on Get Up. “They didn’t make an aggressive offer last summer, and they’re not showing that aggression now.”
Windhorst added that acquiring Antetokounmpo would require a complex, three- or four-team deal — something New York has not indicated a willingness to pursue.
Warriors’ Confidence Grows — With One Condition
Those obstacles have quietly emboldened Golden State.
Fischer reported that there is “tangible belief” within the Warriors’ organization that they have a legitimate shot to acquire Antetokounmpo before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline — if Milwaukee is willing to move its franchise cornerstone now rather than waiting until the offseason.
Golden State can offer a package loaded with future first-round picks, post-Curry draft equity, and young talent led by Jonathan Kuminga — a combination rival executives view as difficult to beat.
But confidence does not equal certainty.
“For all of the Warriors’ belief that they have one of the strongest in-season trade packages compared to teams like Minnesota and New York,” Fischer cautioned, “they have to be sure that Antetokounmpo wants to be there before going all in.”
Deadline Decision Hinges on Giannis’ Signal
As the trade deadline approaches, the Warriors’ leverage is clear — but so is their restraint.
Golden State appears ready to act decisively, armed with assets and flexibility few contenders can match. Yet unlike other suitors scrambling to assemble multi-team frameworks, the Warriors are focused on a simpler calculation: whether the two-time MVP sees the Bay Area as a destination worth embracing.
Until that signal comes from Antetokounmpo himself, the Warriors’ cleanest path to a Giannis trade remains open — but not guaranteed.