As of now, the Golden State Warriors have no chance to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. The team, looking to win another title with Stephen Curry, has been rumored to pursue Antetokounmpo for weeks. However, since no trade package has worked out, there’s no hopeful ending for Warriors fans.
Having said that, a few insiders report that this might not be the end of the Warriors-Antetokounmpo saga.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Not Heading to Warriors Before Trade Deadline
With the NBA Trade Deadline here, fans have been waiting for a big Milwaukee Bucks move. However, the Bucks don’t seem to want to move their favorite star just yet. Reports confirmed that the Bucks aren’t interested in striking a deal with the Warriors, which was banking on an exciting Curry-Antetokounmpo combo for a real shot at the 2026 championship.
According to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, the Warriors most likely have a backup plan to land Antetokounmpo. If they can’t make it by the February 5 deadline, they can certainly try for a 2026-27 move.
“The Warriors remain at least somewhat optimistic that if the Bucks don’t move Antetokounmpo by Thursday afternoon’s deadline, there will still be a chance to rekindle talks with the Bucks in the summer. The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Warriors have been telling Butler they will stick with him throughout his year-long ACL rehab,” the journalist reported.
Having said that, this also puts Draymond Green’s future with the team at risk. With the Warriors for his entire career, Green could be a part of the trade package that sends Antetokounmpo to San Francisco. This also extends to Jimmy Butler III and the recently added Kristaps Porziņģis.
As of now, the Warriors need to offload a big paycheck to be able to afford Antetokounmpo, something they can’t do with Butler, Green, and Porziņģis on board. They could also combine a bigger star with younger players like Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski.
Milwaukee Bucks Weren’t Interested in Warriors’ Draymond Green-Centered Offer
According to recent reports, the Warriors centered a deal around Green and other picks to bring Antetokounmpo in. However, the Bucks rejected said offer and are currently unwilling to move the Greek Freak.
As per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Warriors have moved on from the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, and Green will most likely stay on with the team. “If there was a trade he was gonna be a part of, it was gonna be the Giannis trade,” Charania shared. “They have no other conversations with Giannis right now.”
That being said, the Warriors now have Porziņģis to rely on with Butler injured for around a year — especially until the team is back at full strength. And though there’s no comparing Porziņģis to Antetokounmpo, he might just help the team stay afloat with Curry in charge.
Previously with the Atlanta Hawks, Porziņģis is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.8 3-pointers per game while shooting 45.7%.
