Warriors: 2 ways the team could land Giannis Antetokounmpo
By Allen Settle
The Golden State Warriors could look to make a huge splash in the near future by acquiring reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with one of these two options.
June 6th, 2016, is a date that will live in basketball infamy for fans in the Bay Area. On that date, NBA superstar Kevin Durant officially signed with the Golden State Warriors. The move instantly changed the landscape in professional basketball.
The Warriors, who were coming off of two consecutive trips to the NBA Finals (including a Finals victory in 2015), added a former MVP to pair with their current MVP Stephen Curry.
The results were exactly as expected. Golden State established itself as one of the most dominant dynasties in history, making the Finals five straight seasons (while winning three).
As the 2020 season progresses, these same Warriors find themselves in unfamiliar territory.
Durant has moved on to the Brooklyn Nets. The team’s Splash Brothers tandem of Curry and Klay Thompson are also injured. This has resulted in the franchise currently residing at the bottom of the NBA standings with a 12-43 record.
However, there is great reason for optimism in San Francisco.
Curry and Thompson are both projected to return fully healthy next season. The team also has Draymond Green and the newly-acquired Andrew Wiggins. Additionally, the Warriors possess a treasure trove of valuable draft picks over the next two seasons.
This begs the question — can team president Bob Myers work more magic as the team attempts to extend their championship window? That question has been even more pressing by speculation that reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo could be a potential target.
Do the Warriors have a legitimate path to adding the superstar? Yes they do! In fact, there are two ways the Warriors could conceivably acquire Antetokounmpo in the near future.