Believe it or not, there is a good case to be made that the Golden State Warriors have the strongest package for Giannis Antetekounmpo.
The flood gates are open and the rumors will not stop flowing until this frenzy comes to an official conclusion. The Golden State Warriors are emerging as the team with the best opportunity of swiping Giannis Antetokounmpo away from Milwaukee – but what makes them the frontrunners in potential trade talks?
It’s obvious that the Warriors would be a clear favorite to sign Giannis in free agency should he finish the remainder of next season. The Dubs are on the verge of rebuilding their dynasty and the two-time MVP would undoubtedly push them back over the top.
The Warriors leverage in free agency should actually play into their hands when it comes to trade proposals. If every team in the league believes Giannis plans on going to Golden State next summer, this puts the Warriors in the driver’s seat in terms of negotiation.
But, what could the Dubs offer in a trade proposal? We have seen lesser names like Paul George and Anthony Davis be shipped for a stockpile of future picks and assets. Do the Warriors have enough to acquire a top-three player?
This part of the conversation is debatable. If you’re a Bucks fan, you probably don’t think any package is worthy of dealing away the franchise’s best player since Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. Yet, the Warriors repeatedly find themselves listed as favorites to trade for Giannis.
This is because of their luck in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and their future first round pick for the 2021 NBA Draft (courtesy of Minnesota). These two picks, combined with players such as Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, are enough to compete with just about any package the rest of the NBA can muster up.
Still, above all else, the power of Golden State’s pull in free agency will be the difference-maker in determining who the Bucks are able to make a deal with. There is no sense in making an offer for a player who will leave your team anyway. This puts the Dubs in a great position to land Giannis at some point in the near future. At least, a better position than the other 29 NBA teams.