The Golden State Warriors may very well reignite their interest in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, particularly given the growing dysfunction between the superstar forward and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Warriors have hit a setback in their hopes of a trade for the 2x MVP though, with reports on Tuesday that their offer to the Bucks before the deadline fell behind that of the Miami Heat.
Heat have stronger offer than Warriors for Giannis Antetokounmpo
It was well known that the Warriors and Heat were arguably the two teams most strongly pursuing an Antetokounmpo trade before February's deadline, with plenty of debate among fans on who exactly had the more tantalizing package for the Bucks.
Golden State did have more first-round draft capital to offer than Miami, but according to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday, it was the deal from South Beach that Milwaukee most closely considered.
"Team sources said the Bucks seriously considered the Heat's offer, which centered on Tyler Herro,Kel'el Ware, other players and multiple draft picks and pick swaps. Milwaukee contemplated moving forward with Miami on Feb. 4. Ownership, however, believed the best move would be to hold on to Antetokounmpo and receive better offers in the summer," Charania wrote.
There was a sense before the deadline that if the Warriors were going to acquire Antetokounmpo, they had to strike before more teams could get involved during the offseason. If Miami had the best and closest offer before the deadline, how are Golden State possibly going to be able to field a competitive deal during the summer?
The Heat will have a couple more first-round picks at their disposal in the offseason, and so too will the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers who could also become players for Antetokounmpo.
Warriors need luck at the lottery in potential Giannis pursuit
Golden State's best hope, assuming they actually miss the playoffs, would be to get lucky at the draft lottery and fall into a top four pick. That could suddenly turn the tables and get Milwaukee heavily interested in a deal that sends Antetokounmpo to the Bay Area.
The other determining factor will be where Antetokounmpo wants to go. With just one guaranteed year left on his deal, teams aren't going to pour out a massive trade offer without an assurance that the 31-year-old will sign a long-term extension.
The Warriors might need Antetokounmpo to specifically declare he wants to land with them, otherwise this report on the Heat's superior offer suggests they're going to find things incredibly difficult.