The Golden State Warriors appear skeptical about the possibility of Giannis Antetokounmpo requesting a trade to the Bay Area. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, discussions with the team’s core players have revealed no signs that a move for Giannis is being considered.
“The Warriors have been tied to Giannis for a long time. Does Giannis want to be in Golden State? I don’t have total clarity on that, but there’s no smoke there to my knowledge. In fact, I’ve chatted with some of their core players & we don’t have any reason to think that he’s trying to get here. So the list [for Giannis] may not be that long,” Amick shared this insight on Monday’s episode of The Athletic’s “NBA Daily” podcast.
Amick: “Does Giannis want to be in Golden State? I don't have total clarity on that, but there's no smoke there to my knowledge. In fact, I've chatted with some of their core players & we don't have any reason to think that he's trying to get here. So the list [for Giannis] may… pic.twitter.com/YewFtsw352
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“In fact, I’ve chatted with some of their core players on that intel — and just to be clear, not to No. 30 [Stephen Curry]. And the indication was that, ‘we don’t have any reason to think that he’s trying to get here,’”
The insider emphasized that the New York Knicks and Miami Heat are the top destinations for Giannis, noting that his list of preferred landing spots is very limited.
Giannis Antetokounmpo still holds all the cards on a Bucks trade
Amick added that no trade will move forward without Antetokounmpo’s approval, as he is expected to sign a contract extension with whichever team he joins next.
It is striking that Antetokounmpo has not indicated any interest in heading to the Warriors, even though he has spoken about wanting to play with Stephen Curry and has long admired Golden State.
“He can opt out next summer [2027]. It’s a short enough timeline wise where Giannis is in control. If he doesn’t want to come to your team, you don’t want to do it. You’d have to give up too much, and then, he’s going to bounce,” the NBa insider added.
A team could still take a chance on a brief, potentially one-and-a-half-year stay with Antetokounmpo, hoping he might reconsider his decision down the line.
A team under the radar could take a high-risk approach, borrowing from the Raptors’ strategy of signing Kawhi Leonard to chase a Giannis trade, even if the odds of payoff are slim.
