Giannis Antetokounmpo is open to leaving the Bucks. This news has the whole league wondering and plotting about where this generational superstar will play next season. Of course, the Golden State Warriors, who have been interested in pairing Giannis with Stephen Curry for years, are one of the teams that will likely make a run at trading for the Greek Freak.
Although they may not have the best assets to make a blockbuster Antetokounmpo trade happen, if the 2x MVP decides he wants to play in Golden State, the Bucks may have no choice but to send him there. That’s why this recent report by Sam Amick has brought hope to Warriors fans.
Giannis attends Steph’s All-Star Weekend party
It is not uncommon for players to throw parties during All-Star Weekend. As we’ve seen over the last handful of years, the weekend is a lot more about having fun and socializing than playing intense basketball. Of course, Stephen Curry threw a party in San Francisco while the Warriors hosted All-Star weekend.
Amick reported, however, that Antetokounmpo was the only player to attend the party who wasn’t a Warrior. This has caused many to twirl their Brian Windhorst fingers and wonder if Antetokounmpo could be headed to join Curry in Golden State. The duo have always spoken quite highly of one another and seemed to have a great relationship on and off the court.
Amick added in his report, “Giannis and Steph, it should be noted, are both represented by the same Octagon agency. Still, it was a Warriors-centric event with one notable, and very large, exception.” Being a part of the same agency may not seem like much, but it is another reason that the pair are tied.
We’ve seen a similar situation play out when Anthony Davis joined LeBron James on the Lakers under the Klutch Sports Group umbrella. Stephen Curry and the Warriors are hoping this same thing may happen again with Antetokounmpo.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, the only real chance they have at landing the 30-year-old is for him to make a short list of teams he is willing to be traded to. Golden State don’t have the best asset package to offer for him, particularly in comparison to teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets.
That being said, if Antetokounmpo makes a small list of teams he’s willing to be traded to, the Bucks will likely honor that. The Warriors have to hope that that list includes them and that they can find enough assets to make a reasonable offer, though everything will have to break right for them to be in line for a Antetokounmpo-led future.