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With Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly officially on the trade block, there’s no doubt every NBA team will at least make a call about the Milwaukee Bucks star.
With such stiff competition, the Warriors would have to put put together an enticing offer to acquire the two-time NBA MVP — but ESPN’s Bobby Marks believes Golden State has the least difficult path to do so among the 11 top suitors. In his potential Warriors deal for Antetokounmpo, Marks ranks its difficulty a 2/10, matched only by the Detroit Pistons.
There is a catch, however; Marks writes that including Jimmy Butler’s $54.1 million salary is a “necessity” in the trade.
“Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has said trading Jimmy Butler III is not something the Warriors could envision even with him out with a torn ACL,” Marks writes. “But what happens now that Antetokounmpo is available in trade discussions? Unless the Warriors are going to trade Draymond Green, Butler’s salary this season would need to be included.
“Along with Butler, Golden State could include Jonathan Kuminga, a young player in Brandin Podziemski and up to four first-round picks. They can also include up to three pick swaps. To make the salaries work, Milwaukee would have to include either Bobby Portis or Kyle Kuzma if Kuminga is included.”
Dunleavy did say in a press conference after Butler tore his ACL that the Warriors weren’t likely to trade him as a salary-clearing move — but he didn’t rule it out with a hard “no,” either.
“Now that you brought it up, I guess I’d say what I envision for him is to kind of give us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived,” Dunleavy said Jan. 20. “At some point during the season, him returning and being the player he’s been. I mean, at his age, what he’s doing this year to have the year he’s had is impressive.
“I think he’s got a style of game that can play for a long time with his skill, his physicality, his mind for the game. So, I guess my vision for him is him returning at some point between now and this time next year.”
But for a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber? The phrase “anything is possible” rings true.
Ahead of the Warriors’ and Pistons’ deals with 2/10 difficulties, Marks also rated potential trade packages for the Toronto Raptors (3/10), Portland Trail Blazers (4/10), San Antonio Spurs (6/10), Oklahoma City Thunder (7/10), Miami Heat (7/10), Houston Rockets (7/10), Atlanta Hawks (7/10), New York Knicks (8/10) and Minnesota Timberwolves (8/10).