Warriors Must Pursue Giannis Trade Ahead of Knicks, Heat and Nets amid NBA Rumors

The Golden State Warriors have been waiting for this moment.

Frankly, a not insignificant portion of the NBA world has.

The Milwaukee Bucks, who operate on one of the league's most extreme win-right-now timelines, are off to such a disastrous start that folks think it might force two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to rethink his commitment to the franchise. For now, it might be a stretch to say trade winds are swirling around him, but "teams are circling—and hopeful" that he might shake loose at some point this season, per CBS Sports' Bill Reiter.

Should things reach that point, Antetokounmpo's list of "credible" suitors would likely start with the Warriors, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, per NBA insider Marc Stein. The list of interested teams surely runs even longer, but if any of these four teams wants to weigh their competition for Antetokounmpo, it's probably safe to start by assessing the others.

All four have desirable markets and trade assets available. The Warriors, Heat and Knicks also possess win-now stars, while the Nets might have enough trade chips to chase Antetokounmpo and get him a co-star.

Of all these four teams, though, Golden State should be operating with the most urgency.

The Dubs have been dreaming of Giannis for years. And for much of this time, they've been needing a legitimate running mate for Stephen Curry, who is making sure the front office doesn't forget that.

The Warriors also have the right ecosystem in which Antetokounmpo could thrive.

Curry's limitless shooting range and off-ball movement could make Antetokounmpo's life even easier than it has been with Damian Lillard. Golden State's myriad ball movers and role players would ensure its stars shine as bright as possible. Plus, it's hard to see coach Steve Kerr struggling to pull the right strings the way Doc Rivers has in Milwaukee (18-24 since taking over in January).

And if this is really Golden State's competition for Antetokounmpo, it actually might have enough to win this sweepstakes.

While "more than one rival team [has] wondered aloud" about whether the Knicks may have acquired Karl-Anthony Towns in hopes of later flipping him for Antetokounmpo, per Stein, that scenario feels either far-fetched or simply impossible. If Milwaukee reaches the point of trading Antetokounmpo, it will almost certainly tear its aging, expensive roster down to the studs and start over. Towns is about to be 29 years old and is outrageously expensive; he'd have no place in a Bucks' rebuild.

If the Knicks can't use Towns to get Antetokounmpo, how does a deal happen? It doesn't. As Stefan Bondy relayed for the New York Post, it is "very unlikely" New York can afford an Antetokounmpo trade after unloading so many assets in the previous trades for Towns and Mikal Bridges.

Miami can field a more formidable trade offer, but it is out a bunch of future picks, including a pair of first-rounders with protections potentially pushing out to 2028. The Heat also don't necessarily have a young, blue-chip prospect to send back. Maybe Milwaukee native Tyler Herro would be considered, but he is closing in on his 25th birthday and playing in his sixth NBA season; how much untapped potential can he really offer?

The bigger worry with the Heat, though, is the dearth of shooting that a roster built around Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler would have. Butler is probably the best shooter of the bunch, and his career contributions are just 0.8 triples per game with a 32.8 percent success rate.

As for Brooklyn, there isn't nearly enough win-now talent to support an Antetokounmpo trade. The Nets would presumably chase more deals, but they only have so many assets to go around. It's very possible Antetokounmpo's best teammate in Brooklyn would be Nic Claxton, a defense-first center who seldom looks at the basket from outside the restricted area.

As for the Warriors, they have salaries to make the money work, future firsts to dangle and multiple young building blocks to offer. Milwaukee could do worse than to head into a post-Giannis rebuild with Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and draft assets.

Golden State, meanwhile, couldn't do reasonably better than Antetokounmpo. If the aim is to maximize whatever remains of Curry's championship window, Antetokounmpo is the player who can make that happen.