The Milwaukee Bucks continue to engage in trade talks for star wing Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to the latest reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania reaffirmed other reports that the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat are the teams most aggressively pursuing the Greak Freek.
“Over the weekend the Bucks remained engaged with NBA teams that have interest that have given aggressive proposals,“ Charania said during an appearance on SportsCenter.
”My understanding is they’ve submitted counteroffers to those aggressive proposals as well. The Heat, Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks those have been the most serious suitors in the mix so far for Giannis. But it all comes down to the price point for him, right? A young player and/or a surplus of draft picks. So who meets that mark between now and the next four days before the NBA trade deadline.“
The biggest update from Charania’s reporting is the fact that Milwaukee presented counteroffers to teams. It has remained unclear whether the Bucks would move Antetokounmpo prior to this year’s trade deadline or were simply engaging in negotiations to preview more serious talks over the summer. Countering teams offers suggests a more immediate deal may be attainable.
The Warriors particularly benefit from a more immediate resolution to the Giannis sweepstakes. Not only are they looking to revive their longshot contender status after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury, but they are one of the few teams that gains little added trade flexibility while waiting until the offseason. While several other potential suitors for Antetokounmpo would be able to trade multiple additional first round picks or take on more cumbersome contracts over the summer, Golden State will only gain access to one additional pick swap.
Golden State has wasted a lot of time chasing stars and refusing to invest heavily in secondary players out of a hope that Antetokounmpo in particular would come available. Will general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. actually be able to get this blockbuster deal done prior to the trade deadline in a few days? We’ll know the answer soon.
