The Golden State Warriors have Giannis Antetokounmpo as their dream trade target, The Athletic reported in February.
But unfortunately, the feeling isn’t mutual.
CBS Sports’ national columnist Bill Reiter reported on October 31 that two teams are on Antetokounmpo’s shortlist of preferred landing spots should the Milwaukee Bucks trade him.
The Warriors are not on the list.
“Teams are circling — and hopeful,” one Western Conference team executive said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened by the trade deadline,” said a top executive of a team that could be in the mix.
An Eastern Conference NBA executive has already heard the places believed to be Giannis’ would-be preferred destinations: “The teams I’ve heard are Miami and New York — the Nets, not the Knicks.”
Warriors’ Promising Start
The Warriors have been aggressively pursuing a bona fide star to pair with Stephen Curry in their hopes of maximizing his remaining championship window.
After their failed attempts to trade for LeBron James, Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, the Warriors pivoted and focused on improving around the margins.
So far, the early returns are promising.
The Warriors currently sit second in the strong Western Conference with a 4-1 record. Their last two wins came without Curry, who is nursing a left ankle sprain, and Andrew Wiggins.
Warriors flaunted their depth, albeit against a depleted New Orleans Pelicans team, in their last two wins. The Pelicans, however, still had their two best players — Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram — available in their twin blowouts to the Warriors.
The Perfect Pair: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry
The Warriors’ dynasty took off when they had NBA All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who eased the pressure off Curry’s lean shoulders.
Antetokounmpo, a former MVP and a champion like Durant, doesn’t operate like Durant, but his rim attacks can open up the space for Curry — a dream scenario for the Warriors.
Donte DiVincenzo, who played with Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, and with Curry in Golden State said the two superstars have similar approach to the game that could make them a dream pair.
“Steph and Giannis have a lot of differences obviously in how they play the game, but the similarity is how they approach every single day, and how they want to be the best in the NBA, and how they want to be the best person on your team,” DiVincenzo said on DiVincenzo said on the Roommates Show in February.
DiVincenzo went into detail, showing glimpses of Curry and Antetokounmpo’s like-mindedness.
“The gap between [Steph] and the next guy in terms of pure work is insane, and I was only around it for not even 12 months,” DiVincenzo continued. “Giannis, I spent four years with him, and every single day he was in the gym. Even days where you have blackout days where no one is allowed in the gym, he’s still there. So, I think you know it’s a credit to them how much time and effort they put in, and playing with them is so much fun. It’s like one of those things you get to tell your kids after all the basketball stuff is over.”
While the Warriors aren’t on Antetokounmpo’s reported initial list of preferred landing spots, things can quickly change in the NBA especially when you have Curry as your chief recruiter.
