The Golden State Warriors, like much of the NBA world, will pay close attention to the situation brewing between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks. Because if he decides he wants out of the Badger State, a scenario he's weighing right now, per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Warriors' wish for an ideal co-star for Stephen Curry just might come true.
It could just require some patience on both their end and his. Because while there are ways to bring Antetokounmpo to the Bay Area right now, the best option might be waiting until swingman Jonathan Kuminga becomes trade-eligible in mid-January. Plus, that should be more than enough time for Antetokounmpo's strained calf to heal.
If a trade doesn't need to be completed until after the new year, that's good news for Golden State. Being able to include Kuminga in an offer for Antetokounmpo could make things much simpler.
If the Warriors reach the negotiating table with the Bucks—which might require Antetokounmpo making Golden State his preferred destination—then they should have a simple strategy: Everyone and everything not named Stephen Curry is up for grabs.
The Warriors wouldn't have to actually give up everything, but remember, they're at an asset-deficit when compared to other could-be suitors, like the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets. Even with an exclusive negotiating window, Golden State couldn't be too careful about its non-Curry assets.
This deal would hit the Warriors' roster hard—and allow them to re-open a championship window with Curry, Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler at the heart of it. Maybe that's not a gamble every team would make in every situation, but it's one the Dubs would have to do if they want any hope of giving Curry another shot at contention.
And why wouldn't they? He is a generational great. By definition, it could be another generation (or longer) before a player of his ilk lands within the organization. If the Warriors aren't doing everything in their power to maximize his impact, then why have him around at all?
This is the move Golden State has been waiting to make. This is the kind of jackpot prize you bash open the piggy bank to collect. A Curry-Antetokounmpo duo might be the living embodiment of the proverbial unstoppable force. How would teams even approach a pick-and-roll scenario where option is history's greatest shooter and the other is the most dominant interior finisher since Shaquille O'Neal?
Oh, and get two greats of this magnitude, and suddenly no one is worrying one bit about whether Butler plans to be assertive on offense or not. He could be the most selective third option in the sport, and he'd absolutely mash defenses who didn't give him enough attention.
That's an uber-talented trio. It's costly as heck, too, and each member is both on the wrong side of 30 and carrying all the injury risks that pop up on that part of the aging curve. Who cares? You take those risks for this kind of reward. Getting Antetokounmpo would be nothing short of a fortune-changing move for this franchise.
What would this move mean to Milwaukee? Well, the Bucks would be getting a head-start on their post-Giannis rebuild. Those later first-round picks could be quite valuable depending on what Antetokounmpo would decide to do once Curry calls it quits. Kuminga certainly has the talent to earn building-block status if tasked with a larger role than he's handled in Golden State. And Brandin Podziemski, a Wisconsin native, could show more layers to his game with increased responsibilities.
The Bucks wouldn't have obvious needs for Draymond Green or Buddy Hield, but both would be invovled to make the money work. (Thanasis Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, would come to Golden State to help make Giannis more comfortable with the midseason switch.) Green might attract the right defensive-deficient win-now suitor, allowing the Bucks to add more assets. Maybe Hield could eventually interest a shooting-starved shopper if he ever gets his rhythm back.
It'd be a massive, direction-defining move for both sides, but that's what the Warriors need, and Antetokounmpo is the player they've wanted forever. If that interest is mutual, Golden State has to make this happen. Curry's championship chances are depending on it.