The Golden State Warriors may only have one true lifeline in the wake of Jimmy Butler's disastrous season-ending knee injury: A blockbuster trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What's been seen as an unrealistic and incredibly unlikely move is suddenly growing stronger though, with more reports on Antetokounmpo's future after the Bucks suffered a horror home loss to the depleted Denver Nuggets on Friday.
A Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is growing in likelihood
That loss was only made worse by the fact Antetokounmpo suffered a calf strain in the final minutes which is now set to sideline him for 4-6 weeks, leading to the question of whether the 2x MVP has played his last game with the franchise.
Whether that's the case or not, there's no doubt that Antetokounmpo's future has once again surged into being the main talking point before the trade deadline, as reported by NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line on Saturday.
"When contacted in recent days byThe Stein Line, multiple officials from rival teams — and some additional well-placed sources — indicated that the league's No. 1 curiosity as the trade buzzer nears had most definitely become Antetokounmpo's status rather than potential trades involving Morant, Davis and Porter," Fischer wrote.
All the messaging out of the Warriors is that they have no intent to trade Butler and his contract after Monday's season-ending injury, but Fischer did report earlier in the week that they would make an exception for Antetokounmpo.
That's because the 31-year-old may remain Golden State's only path to becoming a serious threat this season, even accounting for his latest injury which would put a pause on a debut with any new team if a trade was to happen before the deadline.
Even a player like Trey Murphy III who has been the other dream target of the Warriors -- and who they'd also be willing to dump first-round picks for -- is unlikely to be enough by himself to push the team into contention.
While there are growing injury concerns, Antetokounmpo remains one of the best handful of players in the league. The 10x All-Star is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists, shooting an incredibe 64.5% from the floor and 39.5% from 3-point range.
At this point a miracle Antetokounmpo trade might be the only hope the Warriors have of salvaging this season. Fortunately for them, it's becoming a stronger possibility, albeit still very much a long shot.