The Golden State Warriors have long been considered among the teams that could make a deal for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo , or try to sign him if he enters free agency in the summer of 2021. As suggested in a new report, the organization’s best option might be to offer a trade package centered on forward Draymond Green in order to acquire the 2019 NBA MVP in the coming offseason.
As explained by Bleacher Report in a list of trade ideas that could allow the NBA’s eight “non-bubble” teams to land Antetokounmpo, Golden State is “quite the opposite” of the other clubs whose record took them out of the league’s season restart. According to the publication’s Greg Swartz, the organization has a strong enough roster when everyone’s healthy, multiple future draft picks to make a “terrific” offer for the 25-year-old, and a large enough market to potentially convince him to re-sign.
Elaborating on the best possible offer the league’s lowest-ranked team in the 2019-20 season could make for Antetokounmpo, Swartz pointed out that Green or Andrew Wiggins could serve as the central component of the package — assuming All-Star guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson won’t be included in trade discussions. Specifically, he suggested that the three-time All-Star “makes more sense” for the Bucks, as he is a capable defender, rebounder, and passer at the power forward position.
According to the Warriors’ Basketball-Reference page, Green had a bit of a down year in 2019-20, averaging eight points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game and shooting just 38.9 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from three-point range.
In addition to Green, Swartz recommended including rookies Eric Paschall and Jordan Poole, as well as Golden State’s first-round picks in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 drafts to complete the package for Antetokounmpo. While both Paschall and Poole had solid rookie years in the 2019-20 campaign, the Bleacher Report writer stressed that the 2020 and 2021 draft picks are highly “coveted.” The team’s league-worst 15-50 record ties them for having the best odds at drafting No. 1 overall this year, while next year’s first-round selection — which was previously acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves — is top-three protected.
As noted previously by The Inquisitr , the Warriors have apparently been planning ahead in hopes of acquiring Antetokounmpo, whose Bucks posted the NBA’s best record before the 2019-20 campaign was put on hold in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. These plans reportedly date back to the 2017-18 season — around the same time that the team first expected to lose Kevin Durant in the 2019 free agency period.