Plenty of teams are interested in trading for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and even more will be interested this summer. No team is more motivated to trade for Antetokounmpo right now than the Golden State Warriors.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors are willing to send four first-round picks to the Bucks in a prospective trade for the Greek Freak. That’s the most draft capital they can legally trade, with Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and the injured Jimmy Butler all likely to be included.
Golden State Warriors can’t wait for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Warriors are acting decisively with a week left before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. They’ve made it known they’re willing to give up all the picks they can, plus the one pick swap the Bucks can agree to, thanks to their other first-rounders being encumbered by previous deals.
That offer might not be the best the Bucks could possibly get, but it shows that the Warriors aren’t going to be haggling. Perhaps the other components of the trade will be negotiable, including whether the Warriors would take back some long-term salary from the Bucks — either forwards Kyle Kuzma or Bobby Portis, or center Myles Turner — but if the Bucks are looking for four first-rounders, they can get them from the Dubs.
Not only would the Warriors like to have Antetokounmpo for the stretch run and playoffs, if he’s indeed back from his calf injury by March, but they’d like to make the move before summer comes. Once the season is over, more teams will have salary flexibility and more teams will have lost in the playoffs, which creates more demand.
It’s easy to praise patience when so many teams have hope in January. In June, 29 teams will have not won the NBA title and may become increasingly desperate to do so. When that happens, there are a lot of teams with more appealing young players and assets than Golden State, like the San Antonio Spurs or, if they don’t repeat, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The destination may come down to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s preference
The New York Knicks have been the most-discussed team to trade for Antetokounmpo, but they’re not the best match in terms of assets. They sent a number of future first-rounders to the Brooklyn Nets in their trade for Mikal Bridges. A deal would almost have to include Karl-Anthony Towns, a good but expensive player, while the Knicks would have to gut their roster to get enough trade capital.
Does Antetokounmpo want to play in San Francisco? It makes the flight to Greece significantly longer and state taxes are higher, though California is perhaps the only state that can compete with Wisconsin when it comes to cheese. There’s a strong belief that Antetokounmpo would sign an extension with whoever trades for him, so it’s a long-term decision.
Pairing with Steph Curry would probably give Antetokounmpo the best chance of competing for a championship in the short term. Curry’s turning 38 in March, which narrows the window, but dealing the injured Butler and the oft-benched Kuminga wouldn’t weaken the 27-22 Warriors’ roster, at least once Antetokounmpo is back.
Antetokounmpo is the only star big enough for the Warriors to make a blockbuster, pick-heavy deal for, so it’s an all-or-nothing proposition for the team. They’re hoping that striking early and making a big offer could get them another superstar for Curry’s last run.