The Warriors’ best Giannis Antetokounmpo trade deal to land the Bucks before the deadline

The long-awaited day has arrived for both of them Golden State Warriors and the NBA in general. Giannis Antetokounmpo is officially on the marketlike Milwaukee Bucks they’re finally starting to listen to aggressive offers for the franchise-changing superstar.

With Shams Charania’s tweet in the wind, the media has gone into a frenzy to decipher the potential landing spots for the two-time MVP, and teams are preparing their war chests for the inevitable bidding war. That’s how it starts the Warriors’ pursuit of Antetokounmpoa player they weren’t shy about expressing their affinity for.

Golden State has long dreamed of pairing Antetokounmpo’s interior dominance with three-point gravitas Stephen Curry– a dream that lingers like a puff of smoke, but also looks closer to materializing than ever before as Antetokounmpo is finally on the market. And it couldn’t have come at a more urgent time for Golden State.

With Jimmy Butler is lost for the seasonnow more than ever, the 26-22 Warriors are looking for an answer to their mediocre season — an answer to keep Curry competitive in his twilight years.

But what do the Warriors have to offer for one of the best trade assets to hit the open market in recent history? Do they have enough in the war chest to outscore rival teams and convince the Bucks to send their beloved Greek Freak to the Bay? Let’s unpack what the Warriors have to offer and whether it’s enough to bring the Greek freak to the Bay.

Golden State’s war chest – lots of potential ping pong balls

Tradable Contracts

• Perennial: Jimmy Butler III ($54.1 million, UFA 2027), Moses Moody ($11.6 million, UFA 2028), Buddy Hield ($9.2 million, Player 2027)
• It stands out: Draymond Green ($25.9M, Player 2026), Jonathan Cuminga ($22.5M, Team 2026), Trace Jackson-Davis ($2.2M, Team 2026), Gui Santos ($2.2M, UFA 2026), Quinten Post ($1.9M, RFA 2026, 2026). Peyton II ($2.3 million, UFA 2026), De’Anthony Melton ($3 million, Player 2026)
• Rookie scale: Brandin Pod Ziemi ($3.7 million, RFA 2027)

Draft capital

• Their first-round picks in the next seven years. They can trade up to four: 2026, 2028, 2030 (if in the 1-20 range, otherwise passed to the Wizards) and 2032.
• The first round of rights swaps in the next seven years.

Apron Status

• $264,000 under second apron (hard closed).

Golden State has the salary to make a trade for Antetokounmpo feasible. However, any trade package would have to include Butler’s near-perfect salary of $54.1 million. Otherwise, they would have to deal with Draymond Green’s $25.9 million as a base.

General manager Mike Dunleavy opposed trading the injured Butler, saying he had no plans to use his contract for a trade. But a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber certainly recalibrates that feeling while also responding Dunleavy’s assessment of who they would be willing to trade with their precious post-Curry chooses for.

“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be announced when Steph’s not here,” Dunleavy said last week. “It’s going to have to be for a player that we think is going to be back, that’s going to be here when those picks come out. So the players would have to be pretty impactful.”

Golden State knows the value of their draft picks, which is why they were hesitant to deal them. In a post-Curry world, these picks have a high chance of falling to the lottery and their only way to build their future, given how their young core has fallen short of expectations. Even if they acquire Antetokounmpo (who is quietly 31 years old), those picks remain valuable given the likelihood that the potential Giannis-Warriors situation develops much like it did in Milwaukee.

Aside from picks and contracts, Golden State doesn’t really have the young, intriguing talent that is often a key component of superstar trades. Jonathan Cuminga seems like an intriguing young winger. However, ongoing issues with Steve Kerr and the Warriors have diminished his trade value and raised significant questions about his upside. And while Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are solid young men, both lack a star should they lead a lottery-bound Bucks team.

The Jimmy Butler Pack

Warriors receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

Bucks receive: Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and GSV’s 1/2026, 1/2028, 1/2030, 1/2032 (replacement).

There would have to be a third team for Milwaukee to shed salary to acquire Moody, but this deal works immediately if the Bucks don’t want Moody. Golden State could also enter the territory of offering all of their remaining draft picks, but it would be extremely rash of them to commit their seven-year future to one player. Even if that player is as great as Antetokounmpo

Regardless, the intrigue of this trade on the part of the Bucks is simple. You get control over most of Golden State’s future, including which projects two, maybe three picks from the Curry era fit their criteria for getting a ton of draft funds. You get Golden State’s entire young core, who, while flawed, are good players with solid upside. And there’s potential for Butler to be hooked on something down the line.

As for the Warriors, you’re essentially shorting the post-Curry future to go all-in on Curry, Green and Antetokounmpo right now. Of course, Antetokounmpo could be there when those picks call if Golden State plays its cards right, which would soften the blow of those picks becoming lottery bound. But in the end, they turn an injured Butler into a top-3 player in the league, sacrifice young guys and fill the roster with two-way guys until the offseason.

Given where Golden State stands, that’s a package they should be ready to deal with. The question remains: is it enough to outperform other teams? In the likely event that the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes becomes a bidding war, the Warriors may be forced to trade up a first-round pick to raise the stakes.

Draymond Green package???

Warriors receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr.

Bucks receive: Draimond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and GSV’s 1/2026, 1/2028, 1/2030, 1/2032 (trade).

This would require Curry’s blessing for the Warriors to deal with his longtime partner and good friend. But the idea behind this route for Golden State is to go into this season (increasing the value of the 2026 pick) and bet that Butler will be healthy in a year to run with him, Curry and Antetokounmpo.

On the Milwaukee side, Green could potentially fetch a nice return on the market should they pursue him for assets. Contending teams like the Lakers or Spurs could express interest in a veteran with playoff experience. Otherwise, the principles of the Butler package remain largely the same. Lots of draft picks, including post-Curry and a mediocre package of young players, all of whom can be traded.

As for Golden State, that’s short-term pain for what looks like a two-year window. They would commit over $150 million in salary to just three players (all injury concerns). They would have very little future draft capital and would have to rely on minimum level guys around a star core. And again, here’s hoping Butler returns to a similar level. It’s a narrower path for Golden State, but a potential option to explore.

How Golden State’s package compares to the rest of the league

In terms of picks, Golden State could argue that they have the best package in the league – that’s how valuable those Curry-era picks could be.

Aside from the Thunder and Sam Presti’s horde of picks, the Knicks, Rockets, T-Wolves and Heat lack the draft capital to deal with the top four and three trade picks the Dubs could put on the table. The Atlanta Hawks certainly have intrigue to land the Pelicans in 2026 first, and the Detroit Pistons could certainly make a big package. But these picks run the risk of becoming a late first in the middle of the road, given how those teams would be very well positioned to contend with Antetokounmpo.

But when it comes to valuable player assets, especially young player assets, other teams have an advantage over the Warriors.

Pick any of the Knicks’ high-paid players, from Michal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to OG Anunoby and even Josh Hart — they’re worth more than a lot of guys on the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Rockets have some really good young guys to offer in Amen Thompson and Reid Shepard if they decide to go that route.

Same with the Pistons in Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II and Jaden Ivey. Not to mention all the lottery picks OKC has on their bench, the young wings the Hawks can offer, and the nice mix of Spurs picks, good contracts and young talent they could invest.

So could the Golden State Pack do it? Maybe. It depends on the Bucks really valuing the post-Curry picks and other teams not wanting to part with their young talent. And it may also depend on how much trade-offs and choices they would really be willing to deal with. I mentioned three and the 2032 trade, but Milwaukee could certainly ask for more. And at that point, is it even worth it for the Warriors to trade all of that for one guy?

Regardless, the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes is here, and Golden State will have to explore its options to acquire the generational superstar.