It feels inevitable that the Golden State Warriors will make another strong play at Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, but recent rumors suggests the superstar forward could quickly shut down any trade possibility before it even gets off the ground.
There's been no shortage of speculation on where Antetokounmpo wants to play if/when he departs Milwaukee, with notable NBA analyst Bill Simmons hearing whispers of a desire that would crush the Warriors' hopes.
Giannis wants to stay in the East according to Bill Simmons
Speaking on his podcast earlier in the month, Simmons outlined his belief that Antetokounmpo wants to remain in the East rather than head to the Western Conference for the first time in his career.
“Trade preferences. Heard this. He doesn't want to be on the West Coast, which rules out my Portland theory that I was really excited about," Simmons said.
Given the Miami Heat were reportedly closest to making a blockbuster trade with the Bucks for Antetokounmpo before February's deadline, this is just another reason to remain pessimistic on Golden State's chances of landing the 2x MVP.
If true, Antetokounmpo's reasoning likely stems from the East's closer proximity to Greece compared to the West. It also doesn't hurt that the East remains foreseeably more open than the West over the next few years, with the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and second-seed San Antonio Spurs built to dominate the conference for what could be the next decade.
The rising likelihood that Antetokounmpo will be traded this summer does give the Warriors some hope, yet there doesn't appear to be too much else going for the franchise in their long-running pursuit of the 31-year-old.
Giannis will likely dictate his next destination
Even if the Warriors got lucky at the draft lottery and landed a top four pick that gave them the best offer on the table for Antetokounmpo, that's no guarantee that a trade with the Bucks would actually take place this offseason.
Given he's only got one guaranteed year left on his contract, Antetokounmpo will likely dictate his next destination to some degree, particularly if he declares to some teams that he's unwilling to sign a long-term extension with them.
That's why the Warriors might have missed their best opportunity at February's mid-season deadline, with Antetokounmpo now set to hold more power in trade discussions and rival teams also expected to have more assets to utilize this offseason.
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