5 trade targets for the Golden State Warriors with No. 2 draft pick

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Warriors could get away with leaving Klay Thompson out of a Joel Embiid trade if Philly is desperate enough and Elton Brand is foolish enough. There’s no conceivable way that’d happen with the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo, however, and even this massive package of Klay and three first-rounders might not be the best offer on the table.

Of course, this comes with one massive caveat: Giannis has said nothing about wanting out of Milwaukee, and all of this chatter about him leaving in free agency next summer comes from the outside. Maybe he’d consider leaving if the Bucks don’t win it all this season. Or, maybe he’d realize he just won back-to-back MVPs on a team that posted the league’s best record, and he’d prefer to run it back with that group for another year to try and break through for his first title. Nobody knows how this situation will shake out over the next few months.

If, however, the outside buzz becomes too much, the Bucks fall short of their championship aspirations and a frustrated Antetokounmpo wants to take his talents elsewhere, the Warriors can offer the kind of rebuild package most teams dream of: A certified All-Star and NBA champion who’s still only 30 years old and whose game will translate as he gets older; the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft; and two additional first-rounders.

Perhaps there are other teams who could beat such a Godfather offer, especially if the Bucks want to remain competitive with Khris Middleton and company, but this is definitely something that would grab Milwaukee’s attention if their MVP wanted out.

For the Dubs, even with Klay and his floor-spacing gone, a core of Curry, Giannis and Green is more than enough to instill the fear of God in opponents and make a Finals run right away.