While it appears like the Golden State Warriors would prefer to trade Draymond Green in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rather than Jimmy Butler, there could be a bonus piece for the franchise that changes the equation.
ESPN's front office insider Bobby Marks has proposed that the Warriors could also get Myles Turner in addition to Antetokounmpo, but it would cost Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and, of course, all of the franchise's future draft capital.
Warriors could get Myles Turner as well in blockbuster Giannis trade
Golden State will have to trade either Butler or Green if they're to get an Antetokounmpo deal done. If it's ultimately the former, and Kuminga is also presumably involved, the Warriors would be able to take back another major salary in a trade.
That major salary is likely to be one of Turner, Kyle Kuzma or Bobby Portis. Speaking to 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs, Marks believes that despite being the best player of the trio, Turner could be the one sent out because the veteran center has the most years left on his contract.
"If I was Milwaukee it would, just because it clears the books of a guy that I owe $80 million to over the next three years. If I'm trying to rebuild this thing, I don't know if that's the guy I want to have on my roster," Marks said.
As heart-breaking as it would be to part ways with Butler, getting not just Antetokounmpo but another starting-quality player would make for a thrilling addition to the Golden State frontcourt and their chances of being a threat in the Western Conference this season (and going forward).
Turner has been a regularly mentioned target for the Warriors dating back to his time with the Indiana Pacers, before signing with the Bucks in a blockbuster free agency move last offseason. The Antetokounmpo-Turner combination hasn't work as well as Milwaukee would have liked so far, but it could prove incredible effective with Golden State when you consider throwing Stephen Curry into the mix.
Turner has averaged 13.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 44 games with the Bucks this season, shooting 43.6% from the floor and 39% from 3-point range. The 29-year-old would instantly become the long-term starting center the Warriors have craved for years, allowing 39-year-old Al Horford to move back into a bench role.
What would happen with Green in such a scenario? It would be a good problem to have that's for sure. Acquiring Antetokounmpo is and should be the number one priority right now, but also nabbing Turner would make it even sweeter and jolt the Warriors into contention status.