Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the most discussed players heading into the offseason. With the Bucks star being linked to several teams, NBA insider Logan Murdock even claimed that the forward displayed an interest in joining Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors. However, the Warriors may face larger issues with affording the star.
Murdock highlighted Antetokounmpo’s interest in joining the Warriors on “Real Ones” when he said, “There’s a feeling that Giannis was very, very intrigued by the idea of one day being a teammate of Stephen Curry. There was at least a feeling that Giannis wanted to play with Steph… That was the feeling a lot of officials got during that soiree.”
Murdock referred to the appearance the Bucks forward made at Curry’s party recently. The meeting between the two sparked a lot of conversations involving a potential move, seeing Antetokounmpo join the Warriors. However, Murdock also addressed that this would not be an easy trade to facilitate.
“It doesn’t seem, at this point, that the Golden State Warriors are in the Giannis sweepstakes,” said the insider. “I don’t think they will be—not because they don’t want to—but more so because they just don’t have the assets to get him.”
Any trade chatter involving Antetokounmpo at this point always comes with the implied aspect of the necessary assets and compensation for acquiring him. The Bucks star is one of the most dominant players in the league. This has earned him a sizeable contract for all the right reasons.
Currently valued at $54.1 million heading into the next season, with three years left on his contract, Antetokounmpo is a massive addition to any team’s cap space. Unfortunately, the Warriors simply don’t have the luxury to afford him, as they are already over the cap.
Golden State currently has only a few assets worth trading, the prime piece being their young forward, Jonathan Kuminga. While it would be expected that the 22-year-old would be part of any deal involving Antetokounmpo, the remaining pieces may not be enough to pry the Greek away from Milwaukee, especially considering how limited their draft capital is.
While Antetokounmpo may have shown an interest in teaming up with Curry, a move to the Warriors would also contradict some of his preferences with trade destinations in mind. Having expressed a desire to stay in the East, most teams that he was linked to in the West almost immediately lost some validity as potential landing spots.
Regardless, some teams in the West show some possibility of being a trade destination, purely based on what they’re willing to give up for the 30-year-old. The Houston Rockets, in particular, have shown an inclination to move big pieces around to facilitate a trade to acquire the Bucks forward.
The future for Milwaukee and its star remains shrouded in mystery at this point. With a lot of events set to unfold, the offseason is poised to be an interesting one.
