If they choose to, the Golden State Warriors could quickly establish themselves as the premier suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
They have most of their future first-round picks to trade, and all of those that fall beyond Stephen Curry's tenure with the organization will hold unimaginable value. They have a number of mid-level contracts and large deals in Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green they can package to get the salary where it needs to be.
By all accounts, they should be considered among the favorites to land Antetokounmpo whether he is moved before the trade deadline or in the offseason.
Yet their pursuit will obviously not come without stiff competition. There are clear suitors in the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks they will need to face off against.
But there is an outside team who has not yet been concretely linked to Antetokounmpo that could pose an even greater threat. The New Orleans Pelicans have the assets to get a deal done, and their package could make the Warriors attempts completely useless.
The New Orleans Pelicans could sneakily have the best Antetokounmpo package
At first glance, a move for Antetokounmpo to New Orleans might seem absurd. But Fansided's Chris Lambert shed some light on what a potential return could look like.
Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Yves Missi, and Jeremiah Fears could make up the bulk of the package. If the Bucks are attempting to become competitive again immediately, Williamson and Jones would be hugely important in that effort. Missi and Fears, moreover, would help stock their coffers with young players that could solidify their future.
Here's where it gets truly interesting. The Pelicans have swap rights for Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2027. Coupling that with a pair of future first-rounders could be enough to entice the Bucks given the emphasis they will place on recouping their own draft capital.
While Golden State has players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Buddy Hield available to trade, they would be hard-pressed to match the pure talent New Orleans could send back in a trade.
They also do not have access to any of the Bucks' picks, meaning any team that does have access could theoretically beat them out in a sweepstakes for Antetokounmpo.
New Orleans is in a strange place as an organization, and it's unclear whether they would have any serious interest in pursuing the superstar. If they did, however, they could sneak in and turn the whole thing on its head: a disastrous development for the Warriors.