Are we set to witness Giannis Antetokounmpo’s final games with the Milwaukee Bucks? After signing a 3-year, $175.4 million contract, not many would’ve excepted the Greek Freak to walk away so soon. However, keep in mind that Giannis has won just 1 Championship in 11 years. The hooper’s words- “If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I have to take that better situation,” further fuels all these rumors, considering he’s not loyally attached to Milwaukee. As a result, while the Mavs seem to be a potential future home for the star, Joe Lacob may also throw his hat in the ring.

A recent report by the Warriors Wire touched base on a potential Zach LaVine trade to the Bay Area! With the franchise reportedly not done in the trade market, they could make use of the Bulls’ keenness to trade their star player, while getting rid of Andrew Wiggins, who has been absent for quite some games in the last 2 seasons. Having observed rumors of the same, The Athletic’s Sam Amick contemplated whether the franchise is monitoring potential picks, why not go bigger?

Why not make the Giannis-Steph team-up a reality? “The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think you know, probably made a couple of calls during the summer. One that I think is just always gonna be monitored around the NBA is if the wheels fall off the Bucks,” Amick said on The TK Show. “And we know that that uh, Joe Lacob has had kind of dreams of Giannis coming the Warriors way for a very long time.”

“We know that Joe Lacob has had dreams of Giannis coming the Warriors’ way for a very long time. Again, unlikely, but Khris Middleton is gonna be a free agent next summer, has been hurt so much. Damian Lillard, is he gonna have a bounce-back year? Doc Rivers, how does that go in year 2? I think Giannis is worth monitoring.”

Sam Amick’s remarks come just 7 months after he released a report that named Giannis Antetokounmpo as a “dream scenario” for Joe Lacob. After the effort to acquire LeBron James before the trade deadline, the Buck was reportedly the next best thing in the franchise’s sight. Even former NBA players have voiced their support for such a team-up, with Paul Pierce stating, “The only way I see Golden State getting back to where they need to get back is if they could find a way to get Giannis over there.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, themselves, have fuelled the rumors even more, hugging during a Bucks vs Warriors game in January and sharing praises for each other. Therefore, with Klay Thompson having gone off to the Mavericks, Giannis can be the next ‘Splash Brother’ as well as the face of the franchise after Curry’s exit.

Unfortunately, if the last few months have shown us anything, it is that the Warriors are being a bit ‘choosy’ about where they could spend their money. Their inability to provide Klay with an extension longer than 2 years is reportedly amongst the reasons for the 13-year journey to end. On top of that, Jonathan Kuminga is now in the same boat, as Anthony Slater claims they aren’t “currently prepared” to provide him the 5-year, $224 million contract extension he reportedly seeks.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo set to earn $54.1 million in the 2025-26 season, Joe Lacob will have to make big changes to get him into their fold. Fortunately, they may be motivated by the fact that a Warriors acquisition is what the Greek Freak himself would want!

What did Giannis Antetokounmpo say about joining the Warriors?

During the off-season, in May 2023, Giannis Antetokounmpo held an Instagram live session to interact with his fans. During the same, one social media user asked him- “Bro, please come to the Warriors.” After reading the comment, the hooper looked somewhat perplexed. He took a few seconds to think and then repeated the statement to one of his friends. Later, he turned to the camera, shook his head hilariously, and simply said, “Hey man.” Whatever that reaction meant, it certainly wasn’t a No!

The Warriors will likely have to give up Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and/or other different future picks and varying combinations if they wish to get their hands on the 2x MVP. However, with Giannis Antetokounmpo being seemingly open to the idea, and the Golden State Warriors owner also reportedly looking forward to the same, there is no better time to make use of the opportunity than now!

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.