How a deal would work
However, although the Warriors have the ideal player to center the deal on, it would be dependent on Giannis and the Bucks failing to win a championship in the NBA’s Bubble.
If Giannis and Milwaukee fail in their quest to win a chip this summer, Golden State could look at the Anthony Davis trade to get an idea in terms of what they will need to offer.
Nevertheless, the standard for trades of this caliber may have already been set in the Anthony Davis trade last summer. Davis was traded to the Lakers for three first-round picks, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and the man the deal centered around Brandon Ingram.
That underlines the importance of wings in modern-day basketball. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine the Bucks accepting Wiggins as part of the deal, especially if he does show consistent improvement on defense.
The benchmark has already been set, it just depends how much higher will the Warriors need to go to get their long time target.
The Dubs would need to do some cap gymnastics to ensure the numbers actually work, whether the deal would include Draymond Green remains to be seen. However, it would be well worth it for the Warriors.
Giannis, who is just 25-years-old has already won the defensive player of the year award and in contention for his second straight MVP award. All of Thompson, Green, and Curry in their early 30s and Antetokounmpo would not only represent the present but the future for the Warriors.
Antetokounmpo would give the Warriors the opportunity to follow the San Antonio Spurs’ model for sustained success.
The Spurs built a system that enabled Kawhi Leonard to replace Tim Duncan as a franchise star seamlessly. A strong campaign for Wiggins may well guarantee whether a pursuit for Giannis is possible.