The Golden State Warriors have a chance to make a trade that would instantly alter the Western Conference landscape.
If the Dubs are bold enough, they could execute Josh Cornelissen’s ‘insane’ trade idea and acquire a frustrated Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP.
“The one player more frequently linked to the Warriors in trade rumors than Anthony Davis is probably Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Cornelissen wrote Thursday.
“Curry and Giannis are friendly and would make a great on-court fit, and the Dubs are always hunting for the biggest stars. It would take Antetokounmpo applying pressure on the Milwaukee Bucks to trade him, but once he hits the market, the Warriors could shoot their shot.”
“A rebuilding Bucks team may not mind taking on Butler's salary for next season, and the fact that Butler and Antetokounmpo make the same exact amount down to the penny makes the deal extremely clean. Butler, four firsts, and a swap for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For clarity, Cornelissen’s trade proposal would send Butler, four first-round picks, and one first-round pick swap to the Warriors for Antetokounmpo.
Landing Antetokounmpo would significantly change the vibe around the Warriors’ organization.
Losing Butler to a season-ending injury was a nightmare scenario for the Dubs. However, Antetokounmpo is a significant enough game-changer on both ends to help the seven-time NBA champions make a valiant championship push during the second half of the season.
Antetokounmpo, who recently called out the Bucks after an embarrassing outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, is averaging 28.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.8 blocks with Milwaukee this season.
If the Bucks fail to convince their star forward that it would be in his best interest to remain with the franchise for the foreseeable future, change could be on the horizon.
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