Why Warriors’ potential Giannis Antetokounmpo commerce pursuit comes with caveats

Championships are what outline any NBA group. Groups aren’t remembered for nearly profitable a championship, however for sealing the deal and hoisting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy into the air. The Golden State Warriors have been in a position to take action 4 occasions since 2015, which is why so many have labeled them this era’s dynasty. In between the Warriors’ 4 championships over the past decade, Giannis Antetokounmpo was in a position to break by and cement his legacy with the Milwaukee Bucks within the 2021 NBA Finals.

Giannis, who you would make an argument for concerning the argument of who the most effective participant on this planet is, has been the face of the Bucks for fairly a while. He’s on the verge of coming into his twelfth NBA season in Milwaukee, and the scary factor is that Antetokounmpo remains to be solely 29 years previous. The Greek celebrity is simply now reaching the top and prime years of his profession, plus he will get to play alongside Damian Lillard, who has confirmed to be probably the greatest scoring guards in league historical past.

That is why the Bucks maintain excessive championship aspirations forward of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Even with all of this potential and hype, the Bucks nonetheless cannot masks the truth that they’ve struggled since claiming a championship three years in the past. A victory within the 2021 NBA Finals was adopted up by an exit within the Jap Convention Semifinals, which has led to back-to-back first-round exits for Antetokounmpo and Co. Mike Budenholzer was eliminated as the top coach following the staff’s first-round exit in 2023, and after hiring Adrian Griffin earlier than the 2023-24 season, the first-year head coach was eliminated and changed by Doc Rivers earlier than the All-Star break.

Rivers now enters his first full season with the Bucks, a yr that has so much on the road. Other than the futures of Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and others being on the road, Milwaukee must show that they’re nonetheless one of many groups to beat for Giannis’ sake. Simply because he’s beneath contract by the 2027-28 season does not imply Antetokounmpo will not take into consideration the concept of cementing his legacy elsewhere, particularly ought to the Bucks’ struggles proceed.

Whereas it is not anticipated to occur as we speak, nor tomorrow, and even because the 2024-25 season begins, Giannis presumably switching groups and leaving the Bucks has develop into a key dialogue amongst league circles. Antetokounmpo would undoubtedly have the opposite 29 groups across the league lining up for his providers if he have been ever considering leaving the Bucks, however the one staff that all the time appears to be linked with the two-time MVP in rumors is the Warriors.

Earlier than Antetokounmpo signed his three-year, $175 million extension with the Bucks, the Warriors have been lining as much as be the celebrity’s high suitor. The Warriors’ curiosity in Giannis has not dissipated, and the group nonetheless holds agency perception that they’ll win extra championships earlier than Stephen Curry retires.

Does this imply there may be truly an opportunity that Golden State might go all-in on including Giannis Antetokounmpo within the coming yr? A path to Antetokounmpo becoming a member of the Warriors definitely exists, but there are fairly a number of obstacles and hurdles that might have to be handled, beginning with the truth that the Bucks haven’t any need to see Antetokounmpo in one other staff’s jersey.

Bucks maintain no need for Giannis Antetokounmpo commerce

Whereas the Warriors are hoping that they’ll get again to the playoffs within the Western Convention and show that their championship window remains to be open, the Bucks know that there’s a playoff spot for them within the Jap Convention. Higher but, the Bucks know that they’ve one of many higher rosters within the East.

Giannis and Dame are arguably the most effective scoring duo within the league, and with Middleton wholesome, Milwaukee owns probably the greatest All-Star trios within the league. The additions of Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. are additionally solely going to make the Bucks a stronger staff.

It takes two to tango, and proper now, neither Giannis nor the Bucks are on the lookout for a commerce. That’s that, and something suggesting something completely different is just making a story the place there is not one.

Now, with this stated, the NBA is an ever-changing world of drama. No person thought Kevin Durant would be a part of the Warriors in 2016 after they gained 73 video games throughout the common season, however he did. That transfer appeared to work out for Durant too, whatever the scrutiny he obtained from followers, as he went on to win two Finals MVPs subsequent to Curry.

Though Antetokounmpo holds no motive to need to depart the Bucks and presumably request a commerce, the 2024-25 season is large for this group. Two straight seasons leading to first-round losses within the playoffs have solely motivated the Bucks to be higher. Then once more, failure to make a reputable run within the playoffs raises much more issues about this group, which then flip into query marks, which then result in rumors about each Antetokounmpo and Lillard.

Forward of the brand new season, the Bucks personal a $193 million payroll, the fourth-highest within the NBA. Though Milwaukee definitely has room for progress, particularly beneath Rivers, this staff is under no circumstances seeking to shake up their core. Giannis is the Bucks, simply as Steph is the Warriors.

In some unspecified time in the future, it’s inevitable that the Bucks will probably be compelled to alter and hit the reset button, identical to how each group across the league has finished so at varied factors over the past twenty years. That point is much from now, as the one factor on the Bucks’ minds is contending for and profitable one other championship as quickly as potential.

That is additionally Giannis’ purpose, which is why failure to show that they’re reputable contenders when it issues most might trigger frustrations to start rising.

Warriors’ considerably versatile monetary scenario

Other than all of the speak surrounding the Bucks and Antetokounmpo not being considering parting methods, it’s value speaking in regards to the Warriors’ scenario. Joe Lacob is dedicated to profitable, and that has been the mindset ever since he purchased the staff in 2010. By means of the years, the Warriors have gone by main management and roster modifications, but the purpose of profitable has remained fixed.

A brand new problem now faces Golden State coming into the 2024-25 season after Klay Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks. Not solely will the group have to adapt with out Klay, who had been a pacesetter within the locker room subsequent to Curry and Draymond Inexperienced since he entered the league in 2011, however the Warriors face monetary hurdles as a result of they’re hard-capped.

For the primary time in ceaselessly, the Warriors do not face a serious tax invoice. With Thompson and Chris Paul off the books, the Warriors opened up quite a lot of monetary flexibility for themselves this offseason, as their $176 million payroll is tenth-highest within the league. The extra vital issue is that the Warriors are working as an “over the cap” staff, which means they don’t seem to be over the primary or second tax apron and won’t face any main penalties.

Because of the sign-and-trade they made with the Minnesota Timberwolves involving Kyle Anderson, the Warriors are hard-capped on the $178.1 million first tax apron, which means that they’re unable to cross this threshold till subsequent offseason when the 2025-26 NBA calendar yr technically begins.

The concept of remaining championship contenders within the West is Golden State’s solely precedence proper now. That’s the reason the group explored the opportunity of including Paul George and Lauri Markkanen in what would’ve been a large commerce over the summer time. In some unspecified time in the future, the Warriors are going to tug off one other large transfer so as to add a celebrity subsequent to Curry, and it’s no secret to anybody that Antetokounmpo is on the high of their record. Since he’s solely 29, Giannis might signify each the current and way forward for the Warriors, with Curry nearing the top of his Corridor-of-Fame profession.

The Warriors’ dream state of affairs is discovering a strategy to commerce for Antetokounmpo, however there isn’t a viable path to creating this occur at this very second. Giannis is making $48.7 million throughout the 2024-25 season, and for the reason that Warriors are hard-capped, the one strategy to make a hypothetical commerce work proper now could be to ship out contracts that match Antetokounmpo’s contract in complete. It could possibly’t occur, however that principally means Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and both Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody would have to be despatched to Milwaukee.

This could’t occur as a result of the Warriors cannot exceed $178.1 million in complete payroll, and they’d have varied roster spots to fill after including Giannis on this hypothetical state of affairs. In actual fact, the one strategy to presumably add Antetokounmpo could be in an offseason commerce, which results in questions on Wiggins and Kuminga.

Andrew Wiggins’, Jonathan Kuminga’s significance

Curry is just not going to be going wherever, particularly after he signed a $62.6 million extension that retains him beneath contract with Golden State by the 2026-27 season. Additionally it is protected to imagine that Inexperienced will probably be retiring with the Warriors since he has three extra years left on his present contract as effectively, together with the 2024-25 season. If Inexperienced have been to retire on the conclusion of his present contract, it would not come as an enormous shock.

With these two stars not leaving the Warriors, the trail to bringing in one other celebrity revolves round Wiggins, who is about to make $84.67 million over the following three seasons. As of proper now, Wiggins is the one different participant, in addition to Curry and Inexperienced, that’s making over $20 million per yr. That would probably change with Kuminga not getting an extension this offseason and staring down restricted free company subsequent offseason.

What occurs with Kuminga will set the stage for what’s to come back for Golden State transferring ahead. The younger ahead is in search of a long-term dedication from the Warriors and the identical deal each Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner acquired from their respective groups: a five-year, $224 million extension. That’s not a contract the Warriors have proven a lot curiosity in, which is why Kuminga might want to show himself throughout the 2024-25 season.

Clearly, Antetokounmpo might want to request a commerce and have his frustrations with Milwaukee mount to ensure that the Warriors to have any probability of creating their goals develop into actuality. There are additionally different elements that might want to play out as effectively, comparable to some kind of occasion or argument to happen internally with Milwaukee to ensure that Antetokounmpo to need to depart the group he has gained a championship with.

To ensure that the Warriors to create the pliability wanted to exit and even have the aptitude to commerce for a participant like Antetokounmpo, they might want to have the contracts of Wiggins and Kuminga. A number of different elements, comparable to draft property and younger skills, may also have to be included in a hypothetical state of affairs, however the first order of enterprise could be discovering a strategy to make the salaries match. Wiggins together with his present deal and a potential long-term extension for Kuminga in a potential sign-and-trade would work in an ideal world.

Sadly for the Warriors, the NBA is by far an ideal world, and the concept of buying and selling for Giannis is just a dream at this level. Too many obstacles stand in Golden State’s means of creating this occur proper now, which is why all they’ll do is wait. Within the meantime, the Warriors will proceed to hunt for star-level gamers that may assist them get again to championship glory immediately.