The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are back — and this time, there appears to be real momentum behind them.
With the Milwaukee Bucks superstar entering the final year of his contract and the team potentially shifting toward a rebuild, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the organization is now “open for business” on trade discussions involving the former two-time MVP.
Naturally, that immediately brings the Golden State Warriors into the conversation, as they have consistently been linked to Antetokounmpo in trade speculation over the last several years.
On paper, the fit is easy to understand. Pairing Antetokounmpo alongside Stephen Curry would instantly give the Warriors one of the most dangerous superstar duos in the NBA. Curry’s shooting gravity would create driving lanes and spacing unlike anything Antetokounmpo has experienced before. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo would immediately address several of Golden State’s biggest roster weaknesses — size, athleticism, youth, rim pressure, interior defense, scoring, rebounding, healthy talent, etc.
The more difficult question is whether the Warriors could realistically put together a package competitive enough to land him.
Golden State does have assets available. The franchise controls all of its future first-round picks, including the No. 11 overall selection in the upcoming NBA Draft. From a salary standpoint, Jimmy Butler’s contract could also serve as the primary salary-matching piece in a potential blockbuster deal.
Still, it remains unclear whether that would be enough to outbid other teams expected to pursue Antetokounmpo with stronger packages of young talent and draft capital.
That said, a lot could change if Antetokounmpo were to specifically request Golden State as his preferred destination, but until that happens, the idea of Antetokounmpo joining Curry and the Warriors remains far more hypothetical than reality.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, May 12th:
Another reason to trust Kerr: If the Warriors do somehow get their hands on another star — and you can bet a Lacob-run franchise will try — then Golden State will require Kerr’s greatest strength of maximizing excellence.
In the alternate universe where the Warriors land Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard or LeBron James, Kerr is the coach you’d want. Go watch “Court of Gold” on Netflix and see why.
“I think you guys asked me about [retirement], and I’ve answered questions. I don’t think I’ve come out and been like, ‘Oh, retirement is coming,’” James said. “With my future, I don’t know, honestly. It’s, obviously it’s still fresh from, obviously losing [the series]. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Instead, the Warriors will stay in their place, and take a player with the No. 11 pick. And if you want reasons to feel optimistic, well … it’s the first time the Warriors have held the No. 11 pick since 2011, when they drafted Klay Thompson. Needless to say, a repeat of that outcome would be very welcome!
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