Any thought the Golden State Warriors may have had of pulling off a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer officially ended on Sunday, with his older brother Thanasis signing a new one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks that solidifies the future of the 2x MVP for now after months of speculation.
The Warriors have long been linked to Antetokounmpo as the ‘dream’ trade target for owner Joe Lacob, yet Sunday’s development may not have totally put a line through the idea of the 9x All-Star heading to the Bay Area at some point in the future.
Warriors may still harbor dreams of trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Instead, there’s a chance that an offseason full of uncertainty on Antetokounmpo’s future may be enough of a dangling carrot for Golden State and other rival teams to keep an eye on.
That was certainly suggested by Marc Stein during a piece on his Substack on Monday, with the long-time NBA insider believing that Thanasis’ signature won’t dissuade teams from continuing to plot a move for Giannis behind the scenes.
"The truth, furthermore, is that I'm not sure the knowledge Antetokounmpo has opted for the status quo will do much to dissuade teams that still dream of luring him away from continuing such plotting behind closed doors," Stein wrote. "I can think of at least six or seven teams that have been anticipating an opportunity to make a credible trade run at him."
Of course, the timeline for that has now advanced to mid-season at the very earliest, and will largely be determined on how the Bucks start the season after making the radical move to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard’s contract to accommodate Myles Turner at the start of free agency.
The belief that the Antetokounmpo chase could still be on is likely to frustrate Warrior fans, having seen their franchise regularly linked to the 30-year-old without any real suggestion that it could seriously become reality.
Sure, the likelihood of it may have increased given the speculation this offseason after Milwaukee’s three-straight first-round playoff exits, but at no point has there been any indication that an Antetokounmpo trade to Golden State (or anywhere else) has been imminent.
That might not stop the front office and ownership from keeping their powder dry in the meantime to ensure they can capitalize if and when the time comes. In the meantime, fans won’t be thrilled by the prospect of the team bypassing opportunities to make serious improvements to aid in the chance of a fifth championship for Stephen Curry, particularly when the likelihood of actually trading for Antetokounmpo is so remote.
While the dream of Giannis lingers, will the Warriors ever be willing to give up multiple future first-round picks to acquire another player that might be a rung or two below in terms of quality?
Stein’s colleague Jake Fischer reported on Golden State’s interest in Trey Murphy III last month, but it’s unclear how far that exactly went in terms of the draft capital they may have offered for the rising Pelicans wing.
Combine the Antetokounmpo dream with the tightly guarded nature in which they hold their picks post Curry, and you’ve got a Warrior team who will likely remain on the conservative side when it comes to trade negotiations.