Adding a third superstar alongside Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler should be on the Golden State Warriors' radar following a second-round playoff elimination.
While it wouldn’t come without obstacles, the Warriors could attempt to swap a four-time NBA champion for a 30-year-old Eastern Conference All-Star.
“Two-team swaps seem rare in today's NBA,” Sports Illustrated’s Dave Holcomb wrote Sunday. “It could very well take a third or even a fourth team to make a trade between the (Milwaukee) Bucks and Warriors work.”
“But this would be the crux of the trade. Milwaukee should receive draft capital in return to replenish the stock the team has lost in recent years competing for championships. They should also get a quality forward that could immediately replace Antetokounmpo.”
“For the Warriors, they land yet another superstar. With Antetokounmpo in the fold, Golden State would have the league's newest big three with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Antetokounmpo.”
Holcomb’s trade proposal sends Draymond Green and two first-round picks to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo.
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Antetokounmpo is in a challenging spot in early July. The former first-round pick has spent his entire decade-long career with the Bucks, winning a championship with the organization in 2021.
However, a fiery competitor like Antetokounmpo wants to be a part of numerous championship runs, which, unfortunately, hasn’t been the case in Milwaukee lately.
Waiving star point Damian Lillard on Tuesday didn't improve the Bucks' chances of retaining Antetokounmpo this summer.
Antetokounmpo’s non-developed perimeter jumper would cause problems in the Bay from a spacing standpoint.
However, the walking double-double’s ability to take defenders off the dribble with one or two moves, get to the charity stripe often, and impact games defensively with his elite ball-tracking and advantageous length would compensate for his long-range shooting woes (22.2%).
Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 60.1% from the floor in 67 contests.
If Mike Dunleavy Jr. manages to swing a blockbuster trade for the Greek Freak, another title could be on the way for the Dubs.
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