Where will Giannis Antetokounmpo land this summer? It’s the burning question echoing through Milwaukee. Naturally, Bucks fans are hoping the answer is a simple one—“nowhere.” But after yet another early playoff exit, the Greek Freak might be eyeing a fresh start. And now, thanks to an Olympic gold medalist’s recent comments and a surprising revelation from an NBA insider, there’s a new contender in the mix: the Golden State Warriors.
Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up this Friday, Brian Windhorst dropped a potential bombshell. According to the veteran reporter, there’s actually a path for the Warriors to acquire Giannis. Yes, Steph Curry and Giannis on the same team. But as Windhorst cautioned—while the door might be open, it comes with a massive “but.”
“Yes, there is a package that the Warriors could use,” revealed Windy. “They have some future draft picks. They have interesting young players. Like last year, Brandon Podziemski was off limits. Who knows if that’s going to be the case this year? But they can’t win a bidding war,” he added.
That’s not the caveat, though. “Giannis has not let it be known he certainly wants out of Milwaukee, so I do not think we should assume that…But if he were to come to Milwaukee and say, I want to play with Steph [Curry], there could be a deal worked out,” said the veteran journalist.
There’s a pathway for Giannis Antetokounmpo to end up on the Warriors, per @WindhorstESPN
“Yes, there is a package that the Warriors could use. They have some future draft picks. They have interesting young players. Like last year, Brandon Podziemski was off limits. Who knows… pic.twitter.com/VmgVjvvNPM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 16, 2025
Now, this deal seems likelier after the Dubs’ own early exit from the Playoffs this season. Steve Kerr is done with Draymond Green as his starting center. “I don’t want to start next season with Draymond as our starting five. I think it’s doable for the last 30 games like we did this year, but you see the toll it takes on him,” said Team USA’s gold medal-winning head coach.
And it’s understandable why. Draymond is nearly 36 and should not be anyone’s first choice to play center in a team with title aspirations. No matter how the Dubs veteran feels.
But Steve Kerr has actually put his front office in quite a vexing spot with this request. And it’s not just because it compromises their ability to go after a star like Giannis.
Steve Kerr’s decision invites trouble for the Dubs’ front office
Let’s cut to the chase here — the Warriors’ hands are kind of tied financially. Per Spotrac, they’re around $59 million over their salary cap and hard-capped in the first apron. And being only $351,113 below the first apron threshold, they don’t have much wiggle room as things stand. They’re also only $11 million below the second apron, and do you think that’s enough money to land a viable Draymond Green replacement, let alone Giannis Antetokounmpo?
But that brings us to the crux of the issue. The Dubs need to replace Draymond Green — there’s no two ways about it. The Timberwolves series showed that the fatigue was getting to him. Green remained at risk of fouling out consistently, averaging 4 fouls a game. He even got 6 and actually fouled out in Game 3. That game really showed his age as he scored 2 points yet had 5 turnovers. And replacing Draymond is difficult because Steve Kerr has made it clear that he’s not going anywhere next season. Draymond himself shares this sentiment.
Nov 28, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) talks with head coach Steve Kerr during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
“I think I turned the ball over way too much this year…And so that’s an adjustment that I have to make going into next year’s just understanding what that means and learning to play better,” said Green. And those don’t sound like the words of a man who’s planning to leave the Bay Area anytime soon.
So any replacements the Dubs sign? They’ll likely share a roster with Dray. And as their third-highest earner, the Dubs front-office may not have too many options available to them on the market despite what Windy suggests.
All in all, the Warriors are in a….let’s say an interesting place right about now. But things are constantly changing in these situations. And it’s impossible to say where they end up. After all, did you have Jimmy Butler joining Stephen Curry and co in the Bay Area on your bingo card this year?
The post Steve Kerr’s Decision On Draymond Green Puts Warriors Front Office In Tough Spot Revived Hope In Trade Market appeared first on EssentiallySports.
