NBA Rumors: ESPN Analyst Reveals Team That Has ‘Best Package’ For Giannis Antetokounmpo
After the 2019-20 NBA season officially came to an end, rumors surrounding reigning MVP and DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks have started to heat up once again.
Since being upset by the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2020 Playoffs, there are speculations Antetokounmpo could follow the footsteps of other superstars and start finding his way out of Milwaukee this fall. The Bucks may have already said they have no plan of moving the “Greek Freak,” but if they fail to convince him to sign a massive contract extension, they would be left with no choice but to listen to offers for him.
In a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game’s Damon, Ratto & Kolsky show, via Twitter, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN discussed several topics, including the rumors about Antetokoumpo’s potential departure from the Bucks. If Milwaukee decides to make him available on the trading block, Shelburne sees the Golden State Warriors as the team that could offer them the “best package.”
“From where I’m sitting guys, that’s the Warriors,” Shelburne said, as quoted by Drew Shiller of NBC Sports.
“They have the best package. People get so upset when I say that, but they do. They have the trade exception, they have (Andrew) Wiggins, they have this year’s pick (No. 2 overall), they have next year’s Minnesota pick (top-three protected in 2021, unprotected in 2022). Maybe you even have to talk about Klay Thompson or Draymond (Green) being in a package like that, too. But they have a great package if it comes down to it.”
The Warriors would undeniably be an ideal trade partner for the Bucks in the potential deal involving Antetokounmpo. They could give them assets that would enable them to rebuild while remaining a competitive team in the Eastern Conference in the post-Antetokounmpo era.
Though he’s expected to have plenty of suitors on the market, it’s hard to imagine other teams that could match the Warriors’ package of Andrew Wiggins, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 first-rounder, and one of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Parting ways with Thompson or Green would definitely break the hearts of lots of Warriors’ fans, but the sacrifice would be worth it if it means acquiring a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber. Pairing the “Greek Freak” with Stephen Curry would tremendously boost Golden State’s chances of reclaiming their throne and reviving their dynasty in the 2020-21 NBA season. Also, Antetokounmpo would be giving the Warriors the type of player that would bridge the gap to the next era of basketball in Golden State when Curry is no longer in his prime.
