It’s officially the silly season in the NBA. At the moment, there’s nothing crazier than the trade proposals getting suggested around Milwaukee Bucks foward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
NBA pundits began speculating about Antetokounmpo’s future with Milwaukee even before the team’s first-round playoff exit. The Bucks lost in five games to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo shot 60.6% from the field to average 33 points per game while playing more than 37 minutes per contest in the series. But Milwaukee still suffered double-digit losses in two of their four defeats. In Game 2, the Bucks also lost by eight.
With the forward’s future in question, The New York Post reported Friday that the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat are expressing interest in Antetokounmpo.
Let’s explore the possibility of Antetokounmpo landing with the Warriors.
Milwaukee Bucks receive Draymond Green, two first-round picks
Golden State Warriors receiver Giannis Antetokounmpo
Two-team swaps seem rare in today’s NBA. It could very well take a third or even a fourth team to make a trade between the Bucks and Warriors work.
But this would be the crux of the trade. Milwaukee should receive draft capital in return to replenish the stock the team has lost in recent years competing for championships. They should also get a quality forward that could immediately replace Antetokounmpo.
For the Warriors, they land yet another superstar. With Antetokounmpo in the fold, Golden State would have the league’s newest big three with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Antetokounmpo.
ESPN’s NBA insiders proposed a similar looking mock trade involving four teams last week. In the hypothetical deal, the Warriors received Antetokounmpo, the Los Angeles Lakers got Green and Daniel Gafford and the Dallas Mavericks received Gabe Vincent a 2031 first-round pick from the Lakers and a second-round pick.
The Bucks received the biggest return: Austin Reaves, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga (sign-and-trade), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Maxi Kleber and two first-round picks in 2029 and 2031. The Bucks also got a 2030 first-round pick swap.
“The Warriors would sacrifice depth to construct a star-studded big three of Curry, Antetokounmpo and Butler,” ESPN wrote. “The Lakers would balance their roster by turning Reaves into Green — who has been involved in Lakers rumors in the past — and Gafford, improving their defense and adding a rim-running center who’s a proven fit with Luka Doncic.
“The Mavericks would trade from a position of strength (center) to add a future first and point guard help during Kyrie Irving‘s absence. And the Bucks would grab an assortment of promising young players and future picks in return for their star.”
Antetokounmpo won his last MVP award during the 2019-20 season. But he’s still posting very similar numbers. Last season, he finished with 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Antetokounmpo led the NBA in field goals made, 2-pointers made and free-throw attempts per game.
In Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo would continue to produce that kind of production as a volume beast because of the lacking starpower in the rest of the Bucks lineup. With the Warriors, Antetokounmpo might not take as many shots, but his efficiency could see an uptick because of the 3-point shooting from Curry and playmaking of Butler.
