The Golden State Warriors didn’t just spend this offseason trying to stay competitive. They spent it preparing for whatever comes next.
After months of tense negotiations, Golden State locked in 22-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga on a two-year, $48 million deal. The move settled one of the team’s biggest offseason storylines but also positioned the franchise to stay flexible — ready to pivot if the right opportunity comes along.
Around the league, uncertainty is building. Several contenders are facing crossroads as the new season begins, and teams with aging cores are starting to look toward the future. That climate could open the door for a major move — one that a team like Golden State will be ready to explore.
Bleacher Report Names Giannis as Ambitious Warriors Target
Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors dribbles past Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bleacher Report recently published a list of “ambitious” trade targets for every NBA team. When it came to the Warriors, their choice was bold — two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The article outlined how Golden State has quietly built a mix of contracts and assets that could be useful in a blockbuster trade. The concept isn’t far-fetched. The Warriors have made a habit of keeping their stars happy by staying ready to make the next big move.
Warriors Preparing for a Potential Giannis Opportunity
It’s no secret that the Warriors still want to give Stephen Curry one last chance at a fifth championship. But to do that, they may need to think bigger than ever before.
Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard wrote earlier this year that Golden State’s front office has been careful to keep every valuable asset intact. According to him, the Warriors are holding steady “so they’re ready once and if the Giannis Antetokounmpo market heats up.”
That strategy explains why Golden State avoided any panic trades this summer. Every young player and future draft pick matters if an opportunity like Giannis ever becomes real.
Why Giannis Could Eventually Look for a New Home
GettyMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo has been loyal to Milwaukee throughout his career. But after three straight first-round playoff exits, the Bucks’ title hopes seem to be fading.
Giannis remains dominant. He averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists last season. But Milwaukee has not reached the conference finals since winning the championship in 2021.
At some point, he may start to wonder whether his next ring will come somewhere else. If that happens, the Warriors could be one of the few teams capable of making an appealing offer.
How Golden State Could Build a Trade Package
Golden State’s offseason moves weren’t just about depth. They were also about flexibility. The team added Al Horford, Seth Curry, and De’Anthony Melton, while re-signing Gary Payton II.
On paper, those signings strengthen the roster. But they also give the Warriors tradeable contracts that could help match salaries in a major deal. Combined with Kuminga’s new contract and future picks, Golden State would have enough assets to at least enter the conversation if Antetokounmpo ever became available.
ESPN reported yesterday that New York emerged as the only team Antetokounmpo desired outside of Milwaukee, and the Knicks and Bucks even engaged in brief trade discussions. But things change fast in the NBA — and an NBA season is long. If Milwaukee falters again, new opportunities, and new suitors, will inevitably appear.
Why the Warriors Should Think Big
To make any potential blockbuster work, Golden State would have to give something up. That likely means parting ways with one of their veterans — either Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler — along with Kuminga and future picks to match salaries. It’s the kind of painful price that comes with chasing greatness.
But the payoff could be extraordinary. Pairing Giannis with Curry and Butler, or Curry and Draymond, would give the Warriors a modern echo of their 2017 and 2018 glory years — when Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Green rewrote what a basketball dynasty looked like.
Curry turns 38 this upcoming season, and Butler is already 35. The window isn’t closed, but it’s no longer wide open. If the Warriors want one more run at immortality, another superstar might be the key to unlocking it.
Kuminga may represent the future in the eyes of some, but Golden State has always been a franchise that lives in the present — one that measures time not in years, but in banners.
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