Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Warriors
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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors dribbles past Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stephen Curry made clear he was not directly involved in the Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, distancing himself from trade negotiations that ultimately stalled at the deadline.
One reason was obvious: Curry’s longtime teammate and franchise pillar Draymond Green was a central piece in the Warriors’ trade framework — a reality that underscored how serious Golden State’s push became before Milwaukee opted to hold firm.
“I wasn’t on the phone with [general manager Mike Dunleavy] and them making calls,” Curry told Anthony Slater of ESPN. “I knew there was an offer that was made, as you’d expect. At the end of the day, nobody got him. So that’s the situation right now.”
Warriors’ Giannis Offer Reveals Aggressive Stance
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Golden State’s offer for Antetokounmpo was significant, reportedly centered on Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski, and substantial draft capital.
The Warriors entered the deadline with four first-round picks and a pick swap available, giving them one of the league’s deepest trade arsenals. Still, Milwaukee showed no appetite for moving its two-time MVP during the season.
Golden State Pivots After Giannis Path Closes
Once it became clear Antetokounmpo would remain in Milwaukee, Golden State pivoted decisively.
The Warriors acquired former All-Star center Kristaps Porziņģis late Wednesday night, concluding a week-long pursuit of Giannis and choosing action over inaction.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the decision crystallized over the final 24 hours of talks.
“The Warriors’ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo after a week is over,” Charania said Wednesday night on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “They made a pick-heavy offer last week and continued conversations into this week, but over the last 24 hours they came to believe the Bucks were not going to move their two-time MVP at this trade deadline.”
Rather than risk standing pat, Golden State shifted to its secondary plan.
Porziņģis Brings Upside, Risk to Warriors Frontcourt
The Warriors sent Kuminga and Buddy Hield in the Porziņģis deal, while preserving future flexibility for another potential run at Antetokounmpo in the offseason.
Porziņģis arrives with questions. He missed 13 consecutive games prior to the trade — 12 due to left Achilles tendinitis — and has appeared in just 17 games this season after playing 42 last year. Still, Golden State accepted the medical risk once the Giannis door closed.
Draymond Green Endorses New Look
Golden State further reshaped its frontcourt by trading Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick.
That leaves Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Quinten Post as the primary center rotation alongside Green, who ultimately remained in Golden State after anxious moments at the deadline.
“I like it,” Green said. “Add more size. More rim protection, more shooting. Porziņģis — if you switch guards on him, he really punishes them. He was the missing piece to a Boston championship. When he was with that team, they were really tough to beat.”
Curry Focused on Playoff Positioning
For Curry, the deadline chaos is now firmly in the rearview mirror.
“For us, our challenge is to try to stay at a level we can be a threat in a playoff series and finish the regular season off strong,” Curry said.
The Warriors may have missed on Giannis — for now — but they exited the trade deadline with renewed size, preserved draft capital, and their core intact, positioning themselves to compete in the short term while keeping one eye on a potentially seismic offseason.