NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo To Warriors In 2021 A Huge Possibility, According To ‘ESPN’s Shelburne
Despite a failed three-peat and the loss of their one of their best players, Kevin Durant, in the 2019 NBA free agency period, the Golden State Warriors continue to insist that their dynasty is far from over. Durant’s departure has undeniably affected the Warriors’ chances of reclaiming the NBA championship in the 2019-20 NBA season but as long as they have the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, Golden State will always remain as a team to fear in the deep Western Conference. According to a previous The Inquisitr article, team owner Joe Lacob recently expressed strong confidence that the Durant-less Warriors “legitimately have a shot” at bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy next season.
However, with most of their rivals continuously making huge roster upgrades, the Warriors aren’t expected to be contented with the current core they have. Knowing Warriors General Manager Bob Myers, he will surely do everything he can to ensure that the Warriors will be competing for the NBA championship for a long period of time. In an appearance on The Jump on Monday, via YouTube, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN revealed that the Warriors are considered as a “big threat” to sign Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021.
“The one team lurking out there — I don’t know how this would happen — but the Warriors have always been the big threat to go after Giannis,” Shelburne said, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.
With the Warriors expected to have the third-biggest payroll in the 2021-22 NBA season, Shelburne said that chasing a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber in the 2021 NBA free agency period won’t be an easy task. However, Shelburne believes that Antetokounmpo-to-Warriors is something that has a realistic chance of happening.
“It would be a difficult construction to make happen, but that is the one looming threat,” Shelburne said. “It comes down to what kind of guy is Giannis. What does he want his legacy to be? Is he the kind of guy who stays with one team his entire career and tries to bring a championship to Milwaukee or does he pull a Kevin Durant and go join a group of super friends?”
It will definitely be intriguing to see Giannis Antetokounmpo playing for a team as great as the Warriors. Adding Antetokounmpo to the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green would undeniably make the Warriors the heavy favorite to win the NBA championship once again. At the age of 24, Antetokounmpo is already considered as one of the best active players in the league. Successfully acquiring him in the 2021 NBA free agency period would give the Warriors an assurance that they will remain as a legitimate title contender for a long period of time.
However, though they succeeded in acquiring big names in the past offseasons, it remains a big question mark if the Warriors will have the same luck in their pursuit of Antetokounmpo in free agency two years from now. After all, he has said on numerous occasions that he has no interest in teaming up with other NBA superstars just to win an NBA championship title. Also, the Bucks are already preparing to give Antetokounmpo a massive contract extension that will prevent him from entering the free agency market in the summer of 2021.
