NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo To The Warriors or Lakers?
Will the Milwaukee Bucks lose Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Lakers?
That is what people in some NBA circles believe.
Antetokounmpo, 24, is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Milwaukee may be in danger of losing Antetokounmpo in 2021 when he becomes a free agent.
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During an appearance on the The Jump, Shelburne said that Golden State has “always been the big threat” to steal away the reigning MVP.
“The Warriors have always been the big threat to go after Giannis.”@ramonashelburne on the possibility of the #Warriors landing the Greek Freak in 2021 pic.twitter.com/T3tt4XR9hH
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) September 17, 2019
“The one team lurking out there. I don’t know how this would happen — but the Warriors have always been the big threat to go after Giannis,” she noted.
Despite the fact that the Warriors will have the third highest payroll that year with $156.7 million, they are apparently still viewed in many NBA circles as legitimate threats for the Greek Freak’s services.
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“It would be a difficult construction to make happen, but that is the one looming threat,” Shelbourne said.
“It comes down to what kind of guy is Giannis. What does he want his legacy to be?
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“Is he the kind of guy who stays with one team his entire career and tries to bring a championship to Milwaukee or does he pull a Kevin Durant and go join a group of super friends?”
Presumably, Golden State would trade D’Angelo Russell to make a deal of some sort with Antetokounmpo happen.
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If the Warriors are legitimate contenders for Antetokounmpo’s services despite their obvious salary cap limitations, then the Lakers have to be in the equation as well.
Presently the team is obviously constructed around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but the former isn’t getting any younger.
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Los Angeles will need to retool soon and give Davis another superstar to play with – and Antetokounmpo could be that superstar.
Up to this point, Antetokounmpo has indicated that he has no intention of ring-chasing with prominent franchises. He insists that he wants to stay with Milwaukee for his entire career.
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Of course, we have heard that from players before – and it hasn’t stopped some of the league’s biggest talents from going elsewhere.
Will Antetokounmpo break the mold?
Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
