It's Now or Never for the Warriors and Giannis
The window is more open than it ever has been.
Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Warriors uniform has long-been an organizational dream since the departure of Kevin Durant in the 2019 offseason. After the Milwaukee Bucks won a championship in 2021, the series of events has been a year-to-year one of rumored discontent, followed by commitment from both player and organization to just keep trying after nothing materializes in either the summer or after the February trade deadline.
In many ways, the same struggle the Bucks have undergone the past few seasons is a reflection of the Warriors’ own trials after the 2022 title, a ring that looks more and more impressive with each growing day. There’s been a mix of players trying to find a fit, questions about the dynamism of the roster, and reflections on what it took in the past to achieve what the team had achieved during the dynasty. In the quest for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green’s #5, there was always a pipedream of them being the avenue by which Giannis gets #2, a move that would fit like a glove for all involved parties.
And just when the furnace on the rumors was getting cold, it lit right back up when NBA reporter Shams Charania said last month that the Greek superstar’s time in Milwaukee was pending an end before this year’s February 5th trade deadline.
The news comes after an offseason where the Bucks and Antetokounmpo agreed to work things out despite the inklings that there was some connection between him and Golden State. We’ve previously discussed that he was the only non-Warrior at Steph’s post-All Star Game festivities in the Bay last year, and on top of comments from Giannis about 30’s playstyle and even him being the Greek Freak’s favorite NBA2k player, there was plenty of vision that smoke often equates to fire.
Milwaukee’s rough stretches and Antetokounmpo’s injuries have certainly stoked that potential flame, marking a first half of the season where a lot has been desynced for the franchise. In a deal involving Giannis coming to play his home games at Chase Center, the Bucks would likely be receiving a slew of unprotected 1st-round picks - at least three, possibly four - on top of a new young starting core of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski. For the money to work, however, Golden State would have to include one of Jimmy Butler’s or - in a once-unthinkable move - Draymond Green’s contracts. There’d be potential to bring either back, but it shouldn’t be lost that either of the moves may lose good faith from not just the involved player, but others on the roster… Including Curry.
Conspiracy aside, the Warriors bringing Giannis into the fold is something that, as aforementioned, is an obvious fit. He can get to the rim at-will, creating his own well of gravity at the basket to free up Steph or one of Golden State’s other shooters with better looks than they’ve maybe ever gotten. His interior presence would relieve a ton of pressure from other aspects of the defense, making it an easier time for even subpar guards to funnel their assignments into the lane for Antetokounmpo to erase the downhill advantages. He fits the profile of size, athleticism, and rim pressure that the Warriors lack to an ideal tee, the key to a roster composition that’s almost too good to be true around 30 and emerging players like Melton and Santos. There’s a question of depth when it comes to how many players the Dubs would have to give up to have Giannis on board, but with the presence of two superstars either in or pushing the boundaries of their prime, it’s hard to imagine veterans would be overly-cautious about signing on for a year and change at the chance of winning a ring.
With so much conjecture, however, there has to be a backup plan. If this deal doesn’t materialize, what does the next move look like for the Warriors? Is a LeBron James or Anthony Davis trade in play, and how would they fit? Would the team rather change directions and go for Michael Porter Jr., bring back Andrew Wiggins, or hope the Pelicans have changed their mind about Trey Murphy? The truth is that the team only has as much leverage as they’ll allow themselves, especially when it comes to their larger not-Curry contracts. Davis’s fit - assuming he’s available regularly - can be comparable to Giannis’s, LeBron brings a high level of expectation but a more-than-capable floor general with signs of plenty signature games left in the tank to come along with it, and one of MPJ, Wiggs, or Murphy shores up a positional need with just enough to maybe push them to the next level.
Whatever the case may be, something needs to happen either at the deadline, or as soon as deals can be made over the summer for this Golden State squad to compete. Staying with what they’ve got, especially amidst Kuminga’s trade demand and the state of the roster with Butler’s injury, is another lengthy step towards a disservice against Stephen Curry’s ability to keep contending - and one that may cost the team more than they realize if the lack of movement continues while The System keeps his prime in motion.