The Golden State Warriors have lost their last two games. They now sit second in the Western Conference, one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. While it’s far too early to panic, there have been some unwanted similarities between Golden State’s last two losses and how they often struggled to maintain a winning position last season.
Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy Jr. spent this summer searching for a second star to pair with Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson‘s decision to join the Dallas Mavericks in free agency put additional pressure on landing another big name. Unfortunately, the front office failed in their pursuit of both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen.
According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, the Warriors could still go star hunting at a later date. He cited two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Warriors ideal target.
“The Golden State Warriors could attack the trade deadline in a number of ways; either by using Jonathan Kuminga and picks to chase an All-Star or simply by finding another guard to offset the loss of De’Anthony Melton to a torn ACL,” Swartz wrote. “The Warriors made a call about LeBron James last season, so there’s no reason to believe they won’t pursue a trade for Antetokounmpo now with the Bucks struggling. Pairing Antetokounmpo with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green would have the Warriors in contention for yet another title.”
Golden State would undoubtedly have to part with all of their tradeable assets in any potential move for Giannis. The Milwaukee Bucks wouldn’t let him go without a fight.
Giannis ‘Is not Looking to be Moved’
Unfortunately, Swartz’s idea of Giannis heading to the Bay Area is likely a non-starter. During a Nov. 6 appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today, Bobby Marks revealed that both Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks are committed to working together through the franchise’s current struggles.
“Anytime a team like that is struggling, there’s certainly going to be questions about the future of Giannis,” Marks said on NBA Today. “He is not looking to be moved. Milwaukee is not looking to move him…They’re looking to try to figure out what went wrong with this roster to start the season.”
Giannis will begin a three-year contract extension next season. That deal is worth $58.4 million. He will be 34 by the time he could potentially hit the free agent market. Therefore, the only way Golden State could acquire the superstar is via trade.
Giannis Would Need to Force a Trade
The only logical way that Golden State, or any other NBA team, could acquire Giannis is if he forced a trade. A Nov. 10 edition of Marc Stein’s ‘The SteinLine’ newsletter provided reporting that backed up that train of thought.
“It is understood quite clearly in 29 other front offices that Antetokounmpo is only ever going to be made available for trade if he pushes for it,” Stein reported via his SteinLine Newsletter. “But a handful of teams out there have certainly begun planning for such an eventuality — and, in some cases, have already let the Bucks know that they will be ready to talk trade if team officials ever reach that point — even if Milwaukee has zero interest in such discussions as we speak.”
Giannis has spent his entire career in Milwaukee. He’s been loyal to the franchise at every turn. Unless the Bucks decide to enter a full-blown rebuild, it’s hard to envision him forcing his way out. Of course, things could change if Milwaukee continues to slide into obscurity. However, even if that were to happen, there’s no guarantee the Warriors would win the sweepstakes to bring the star to the Bay Area.
