This Bucks-Warriors trade would break the NBA and create new superteam

The Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors are both aging contenders coming off of disappointing seasons. The Dubs couldn't even crack the postseason in the West. Milwaukee was the No. 3 seed behind an MVP-caliber regular season from Giannis Antetokounmpo, but a first-round exit against the Indiana Pacers left pressing questions about the future.

Damian Lillard was supposed to push this Bucks team over the top. He made his mark, but injuries were a constant battle and he was noticeably on the decline. Milwaukee's other core pieces, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, are also on the downswing. Giannis is 29 years old, but these championship windows close fast. He could start to get impatient if the Bucks aren't on par with Boston and the Eastern Conference heavyweights this season.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, "wishful thinking" teams around the league on holding out hope that Giannis could decide to force his way out. He is under contract through 2026-27, but Giannis has the cachet to worm his way to a new team if the Bucks implode. While he loves Milwaukee ardently, Giannis has willfully left the door open for his departure in case his personal ambitions no longer align with the Bucks' competitive timeline.

It's too early to rule out the Bucks as a contender with so much established talent, but Doc Rivers is perpetually overrated as a coach, Dame may be in a full-blown downward spiral at this point, and the Bucks' supporting cast is frightfully short on young, rotation-quality pieces to develop and build around for the long run. Milwaukee doesn't have all its draft picks after the Dame trade, and cap space is but a distant memory at this point. Their flexibility to meaningfully improve the roster is limited. So, another bad season (or half-season) could be all it takes for Giannis to get antsy.

That is where Golden State comes into play. The Warriors spent their summer trying and failing to land All-Star talent on the wing. Paul George and Lauri Markkanen ultimately proved too costly for the front office's liking, but Giannis is a bonafide two-time MVP. He is on another level. There won't be any hand-wringing about keeping Jonathan Kuminga out of the trade if Giannis becomes available.

So, here's what it would take to get Antetokounmpo to the Bay.

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Warriors-Bucks trade to pair Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry in Golden State

The Bucks would obviously receive most (if not all) of the Warriors' tradable first-round picks, too. Giannis carries quite possibly the highest trade value in the league when factoring in age, two-way impact, and durability. The Warriors are gutting their depth in order to make this trade work — Milwaukee can't aggregate salaries as a second apron team, which complicates this trade a great deal — but if that's what it takes to pair Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, so be it.

In one fell swoop, the Warriors are arguably the favorites to emerge from a rough-and-tumble Western Conference. Both Steph and Giannis have won at the highest level and their skill sets are extremely complementary. Golden State would need to work overtime to flesh out the supporting cast with subsequent moves, but Trayce Jackson-Davis, Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and plenty of established, rotation-level pieces are left behind. The Dubs would quickly fined new and creative ways to pummel opponents on the offensive end.

The main concern would be injuries — Golden State wouldn't have much to keep its head above water if either All-Star got hurt, for example — but there's no great reward without first a great risk. The Warriors understand the benefits of overwhelming teams with a dynamic scheme and unmatched star-power. Giannis and Steph would break brains and defenses.

As for the Bucks, it's a nice haul to start the next chapter with. Draymond presumably gets flipped to a third team for extra draft capital and young talent, while Brandin Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton, and Jonathan Kuminga all profile as long-term rotation staples. Putting aside Kuminga, who is due for a large rookie-scale extension next summer, the Bucks also get a lot of financial relief and flexibility from this trade.

It's hard to imagine the Dubs losing Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in the span of a few months, but the NBA is a business. If the chance to add Giannis Antetokounmpo arises, the Warriors would be foolish not to leap at the opportunity — especially if Giannis shows a preferance for the Bay, as he's sure to command some control over his next destination.