© Stan Szeto | 2020 Jan 8
The flames have been stoked once again.
Connor Letourneau’s report that the Warriors are planning on offering a lucrative package of players and picks to the Bucks in exchange for reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is just the latest in a two-year saga connecting the two parties.
The play for Giannis, 25, makes sense. The Warriors are looking to extend their championship window as stars like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green enter the back halves of their respective primes. What’s more, we know that Bob Myers and Joe Lacob love, and have had success, going after the big fish in free agency before. See: Durant, Kevin.
Antetokounmpo has just one year left on his deal, and people around the league believe he’d be open to leaving Milwaukee if he thinks he can’t win a championship there. Should this become the case, the Bucks will be highly incentivized to move him, lest he leave for nothing. The question is, for what?
Golden State would presumably ship off Andrew Wiggins and their next three first-round picks, the 2020 one being a guaranteed top five selection. But will that really be enough? Would throwing Green in the deal be something the Warriors are also willing to do?
According to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, the answer to that question is simple.
“Oh yeah!” Thompson said when asked if he’d part with Green in the deal. “I think the [Warriors] would too. Draymond would do it!”
What about Klay?
“The part about [trading] Klay that wouldn’t make sense is what would make that attractive for Giannis? The whole point would be to put him with the Splash Brothers, so to take one of them away they automatically become not as attractive.
“A major part of this is making Giannis say ‘I want to go there and that’s the only place I’m signing.’ I think you’ve got to keep Klay for that. But we know what they’re going to do. It’s going to be ‘however many picks you want and pick who you want on the roster outside of Steph and Klay.’”
“If the Warriors can run it back with Steph, Klay, Giannis, Chase Center, that’s a bounce back right there. That’s a big-shine level bounce back. The only way I think it happens is if the Bucks lose this playoff they might have.”
The 2020 playoffs remain a huge variable. The Bucks’ 53-12 record is the best in the Eastern Conference, and they’d enter the playoffs as heavy favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. Should the remainder of the season get canceled, maybe Giannis would see his title shot with Milwaukee squandered.
Right now only one thing seems certain: The Warriors will do everything they can to try and make this happen.