The Golden State Warriors appear up against it when it comes to completing a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, largely because they don't have as desirable a package as many other potential suitors around the league.
That means the Warriors need everything else to go right, including the timing aspect of this situation which may be working in their favor after the latest report from ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday.
Warriors elimination gives them key advantage in Giannis trade pursuit
Charania reports that the Bucks "are open for business on trade calls and offers" for their 2x MVP, with co-owner Jimmy Haslam stating last week that the franchise is seeking a resolution on Antetokounmpo's future before next month's NBA draft.
It appears as if an Antetokounmpo trade is imminent, giving Golden State a potentially key advantage as an already eliminated team, compared to those who are still battling it out in the playoffs.
The Warriors can solely focus on offseason roster moves and decisions, knowing full well that there's no more on-court data to be evaluated that should shift their perspective. That's in stark contrast to some teams, including most notably the New York Knicks who have been strongly linked to Antetokounmpo since last offseason.
Now on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second-round, how can the Knicks fully commit to Antetokounmpo trade discussions while their playoff campaign is ongoing? They may not even want to if they can reach the NBA Finals which they're now favored to do.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers are two other teams who've been linked to Antetokounmpo, yet who too are amid playoff campaigns that sees them locked in tight second-round battles against the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons respectively.
The Bucks will likely wait until after the NBA Finals to completely evaluate the Antetokounmpo market, but there's still a window here where the Warriors could have stronger discussions than what other teams are capable of having because their season is ongoing.
Warriors know their trade package for Giannis
At this point Golden State know what their trade package is for Antetokounmpo, and it's unlikely to change after the result of Sunday's draft lottery. Jimmy Butler has to be included for salary-matching reasons, while they can then throw together any combination or all of Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, pick 11 and their future draft capital.
It's enough to at least enter the conversation as they did before the February mid-season deadline, but there are going to be stronger offers out there that the Warriors simply can't match because they don't have a blue-chip young prospect.
That means the Warriors have to utilize this window as much as possible, while also relying on a hypothetical Antetokounmpo preference to play alongside Stephen Curry in the Bay Area.
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