Wednesday afternoon featured a report from Shams Charania indicating that Giannis Antetokounmpo's future story may be written somewhere outside Milwaukee. If he does end up deciding the leave the Bucks, the Golden State Warriors will have an excellent shot of finally landing him.
Of course, plenty of Warriors fans had been ecstatic at the thought of Giannis joining their team for years, but most probably believed it was just a pipe dream. But now, with a resolution on whether he'll request a trade coming soon, this gives Golden State a real shot at making something happen.
For the Warriors, the window to be aggressive is now. Their core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green may be aging, but it was always built for a moment like this. The on-court fit for Giannis in San Francisco would be fantastic.
Giannis’ two-way dominance fits exactly the positional and toughness gaps that Golden State has struggled with since winning their last championship in 2022. Antetokounmpo brings to the court elite rim protection, switchable defense, and top-tier scoring force that every opponent knows is coming but can do nothing to stop.
The Warriors could realistically trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The combination of Curry’s shooting finesse and Giannis’ physical dominance could reframe the Warriors not just as another contender, but as the co-favorites out West alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder. It would be the perfect scenario for this front office to put Steph in to where he could finally capture that elusive fifth championship.
Of course, Golden State would have to pay Milwaukee a steep price to make a deal happen, but the upside certainly would outweigh whatever the cost might end up being. To make salaries match and create a reasonable value exchange, the Warriors would likely need to include veterans and young assets. A package involving heavy-hitting players plus remaining draft assets would feel likely.
Making that kind of gamble would require the franchise to believe this is their last real window with their aging core. But best believe that as soon as Giannis is publicly available, every contending team will be throwing their name in the hat.
If the Warriors land Antetokounmpo, it would shift the balance of power in the league overnight, making Golden State into a legitimate championship favorite. With the latest whispers from around the league, it's starting to feel less like getting Giannis to the Bay Area is some far-fetched dream, and more like a plausible step forward for this franchise.