A Warriors trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo increasingly unlikely
The Golden State Warriors, like every other team, would love to add two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it appears unlike he leaves Milwaukee.
There are two ways the Golden State Warriors add reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo within the next few seasons. The more unlikely option is that they manage to find the cap in order to sign him in the 2021 offseason.
With Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green , and now Andrew Wiggins all locked up, it’s unlikely they offload any of those players. Even if Wiggins was traded, it’s unlikely they could manage enough to space to sign Giannis.
The other option is a trade.
The Bucks are apparently “confident” that they’ll be able to retain Giannis for the long run. If they remain that confident throughout all of next season, it’s unlikely they deal him as they’ll be projected to once again be one of the better Eastern Conference teams.
If that’s the case, they won’t be trading him in the near future. Unless he becomes very disgruntled, which also seems unlikely, a trade won’t be on the table despite the array of assets Golden State does have.
“Many within the Bucks remain confident Giannis Antetokounmpo will sign a five-year supermax extension valued at between $220 million and $250 million (depending on the cap level) before the start of the 2020-21 regular season. Unless something drastic changes, Milwaukee is not trading him. If Antetokounmpo doesn’t sign, the Bucks are prepared to play it out, sources have said,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote.
Antetokounmpo continues to improve his game.
He’s becoming a more complete all-around player. This past season, the reigning MVP drastically improved his shooting from three-point land, averaging 1.4 threes per game, double his previous career-high.
Also dubbed the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Giannis has become a force on both sides of the court. That’s why he’s coveted by Golden State, and why he’d be worthy of giving up their entire bundle of assets for.
The Warriors have the No. 2 overall pick in the coming draft, a 2021 first-round pick from Minnesota, and then players like Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and more future picks also available.
That won’t be enough if Giannis isn’t disgruntled, and for now, that seems like a pipe dream for Warriors fans.