The Golden State Warriors were closely linked with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason. With the Warriors’ title aspirations in mind, acquiring Antetokounmpo could have been a major boost. But the lack of movement on this front left Golden State relying on its existing roster.
While the roster remains solid, analyst Colin Cowherd wasn’t convinced of their chances. While speaking on an episode of “The Herd with Colin Cowherd“, he proposed a trade idea that would allow the Dubs to land Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Jimmy Butler’s a fling, not a phase,” Cowherd said, comparing Jimmy Butler‘s role in the Warriors’ core alongside Stephen Curry to superstars from previous eras. “And I think it’s time for the fling at the trade deadline to end.”
Although Butler’s performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night was impressive, Cowherd remained unimpressed with the results. After rejecting the notion that Golden State could be competitive, he added, “What I would do, and I’m told you can do it at the trade deadline … I would move Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, and four first-round picks for Giannis and see if it’s enough.”
Cowherd justified the move by noting that Butler, who played at Marquette, would simply be returning to Milwaukee. He further argued that Jonathan Kuminga tends to perform better when he doesn’t play with Curry, and that the value of each draft pick would skyrocket in the coming years.
While Cowherd’s analysis of the value of the first-round picks in upcoming drafts is intriguing, some inherent issues regarding the trade package may be worth addressing.
Should The Warriors Trade For Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo has seemed like a popular idea. As one of the NBA’s elite players, the Bucks’ superstar is single-handedly capable of carrying teams to the playoffs.
With the Warriors in mind, links between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State were only fueled by the forward’s appearances in the Bay Area this summer. While the interest in Antetokounmpo tapered off due to the team’s limited assets, rumors indicate that Warriors insiders did this on purpose to draw attention away from a potential deal.
According to Cowherd, trading Butler and Kuminga, along with four first-rounders, for Giannis Antetokounmpo seems plausible. While this move could benefit the Bucks, who would effectively have all the tools to begin a rebuild, the Warriors would be left extremely vulnerable moving forward.
It is also worth noting that the Warriors have been quite effective in the games they’ve played thus far. With a 2-0 record, including an impressive OT win against the Denver Nuggets, Golden State appears to be in great form.
The pair of Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry has been feeding off each other well, as was evident from Wednesday night’s performance against the Nuggets. With Kuminga also playing a more relevant role in the rotation and shifting his focus to playing winning basketball, the Warriors appear to be a more cohesive unit this season.
In many ways, altering the team dynamics would be counterproductive. While the obvious concerns cannot be overlooked, it comes down to how well the team can adjust to these challenges moving forward.
In this regard, an argument can be made to gauge the team’s performance by the time the trade deadline rolls around. Currently, the Warriors are scheduled to play their first back-to-back game of the season as Golden State will face its first major hurdle as it faces the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, Oct. 24.
