You know all of those words you've heard and thoughts you've had about how the Golden State Warriors need to give Stephen Curry more help. Well, those same sentiments have been shared within the organization. Over and over, actually. That's why there's been so much buzz around the Bay Area with Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the NBA trade market.
Because the Warriors haven't been merely waiting for some star to surface; they've been fingers-crossed hoping for this exact one.
"They've always been looking at upper-echelon superstars to pair with Steph ever since Kevin Durant left them in 2019 free agency," insider Jake Fischer said on a recent B/R stream. "Giannis has been at the top of their lists."
Because Golden State's present outlook is murky at best, it's been fair to wonder whether it's in the Warriors' best interest to cough up long-term assets for whatever fleeting championship hopes are attached to Curry's twilight years. Adding Antetokounmpo, though, is the clear exception. The Warriors can, should, and surely would send out an aggressive offer to give Curry one last crack (or maybe a few more chances) at adding to his championship collection.
The only major move worth making is getting Giannis.
When Jimmy Butler was lost to an ACL tear, it felt like the Warriors' window to win big with Curry was closed, locked, and boarded up. Because in virtually every conceivable scenario, it would be.
But with Antetokounmpo on the market—and quite possibly within their price range—Golden State just got a chance to shove it back open.
Question the supporting cast all you want, but stars have always mattered most in this league, and the Dubs would have two of the brightest in Curry and Antetokounmpo.
Moreover, they would have two all-caps ELITES who should perfectly complement one another. No NBA player creates more long-range gravity than Curry. No NBA player creates more interior gravity than Antetokounmpo. The push-pull this pairing would put on opposing defenders might give them whiplish and Golden State legitimate championship hopes.
While it's true Antetokounmpo never quite cracked the code with Damian Lillard in Milwaukee, one of the primary issues was the fact both worked best with the ball in their hands. Curry, meanwhile, has supported a true dynasty with his off-ball activity. He's constantly commanding attention away from the ball, meaning teams would either have to hope they aren't buried by history's greatest shooter or roll the dice on containing Antetokounmpo with a distracted defense.
This would be the definition of picking your poison. And maybe this two-man connection could carry Golden State all the way to its next championship parade the few Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray did in Denver a few years back.
The Warriors clearly believe this can work, and it isn't hard to see why. Milwaukee still needs to sign off on a swap, of course, but the day Golden State has eagerly awaited for years may finally dawn.