The Golden State Warriors dynasty that has terrified everyone in the NBA for the past 10 years is slowly decaying. The club’s leaders are aging, Klay Thompson left for Dallas, breaking up the legendary trio Curry – Green – Thompson. The team’s general manager has changed, and he has not yet been able to provide the team’s legends with worthy partners for another title campaign. Who can save the Warriors and what needs to be done for it? The NBA champion knows the answer.
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Golden State’s leadership has failed on all fronts this offseason. The club really wanted to land Paul George, who decided not to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, but in the end Mike Dunleavy fell through: PG Then they found themselves out of work again in negotiations to trade Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz. At the Paris Olympics, Stephen Curry proved that he is still one of the best players in the NBA, despite being 36 years old. It is clear that age will soon start to take its toll and the Warriors’ championship window will begin to close quickly. In order to take another trophy, it is necessary to sign a very strong player or even a superstar.
“The only way I see Golden State getting back to where it needs to be is if they find a way to get Giannis,” Paul Pierce said during a podcast with Kevin Garnett. The Boston Celtics legend, in turn, clarified that there is no inside information and he simply represents the path for the Warriors to get back into championship contention. Pierce has been talking non-stop lately, which is his job these days, but Giannis Antetokounmpo going to Golden State is a good move for the Milwaukee Bucks and Warriors.
Since the 2021 championship year, Milwaukee hasn’t even made it to the conference finals in each subsequent season, being eliminated twice in the first round. Of course, injuries have had their say, but Khris Middleton (33 years old), Brook Lopez (36 years old) and Damien Lillard (34 years old) aren’t getting any younger and are spending more and more time in the hospital, and another failed season could make Antetokounmpo think about leaving. Let’s say Giannis decides to go to Golden State. What would the Warriors have to offer Milwaukee for Grick Freak to join the San Francisco team?
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, 2023/2024 season
Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The Warriors will likely have to give up all of their talented young players — Jonathan Kuming, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody — and nearly all of their first-round draft picks in the following years: 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031. Only then can Golden State get Antetokounmpo. Perhaps Milwaukee will ask for more picks and some expiring contracts to facilitate a rebuild or to have variability in the market with different types of assets.
For now, Milwaukee has no incentive to part with the two-time NBA MVP in his prime: 30 years old. The Buckeyes are still considered a formidable force in the not-so-strong East, where several teams pose a real threat: Boston, Philadelphia, Knicks and Indiana. Antetokounmpo is under contract for the next four seasons, so only he can demand a trade to another club.
Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2022 All-Star Game
Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images
NBA and Philadelphia legend Allen Iverson advised Antetokounmpo to leave for Golden State in 2020. Moreover, Curry himself suggested that Giannis move to the Warriors camp during the All-Star Game. The Warriors were always considered among the favorites if the Greek decided to leave Milwaukee. I think that if such a scenario came true, the San Francisco Club would immediately become a contender for the Larry O’Brien Cup. We all saw last season how dangerous the Antetokounmpo and Lillard duo is, and now imagine the duo with Curry… The best sniper in NBA history with one of the most unstoppable players in the league. I would definitely like to see this!
Antetokounmpo, with his ability to draw the defense to himself, would open up a lot of space on the court for Curry, and as we know, Steph doesn’t need much and the ball will end up in the basket. While this may seem like an impossible scenario for now, things change too quickly in the NBA, and Milwaukee’s poor performance in the 2024-2025 season could change the balance of power across the league. Admittedly, for now this is just wishful thinking and talk.
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