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The Golden State Warriors' pursuit of the Milwaukee Bucks' two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ended on Wednesday night.
The Warriors ultimately chose a different direction, trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.
After ESPN’s Shams Charania announced the deal, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported that the Bucks’ refusal to accept the Dubs Draymond-Green-centered trade offer for Antetokounmpo forced the seven-time NBA champions to pivot to Porzingis.
“The Warriors had been in contact with the Bucks several times in the week leading up to the trade deadline, offering an aggressive package centered on multiple first-round picks, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, and Kuminga,” Siegel wrote.
“However, after receiving a clear indication that Milwaukee did not want to accept such a deal at this time, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and his staff quickly pivoted to addressing a key need in their frontcourt.”
“With the trade deadline roughly 24 hours away on Wednesday afternoon, the Warriors' brass met to discuss potential paths for upgrades in the wake of their pursuit of Giannis no longer being a reality. Dunleavy and his staff had been discussing potential Kuminga deals with teams over the last several months, and discussions with the Hawks developed due to the organization's strong relationship with Atlanta GM Onsi Saleh.”
The Warriors did what any smart franchise would do after its initial plan failed: transition to plan B. Were the Dubs devastated when they discovered they wouldn’t acquire Antetokounmpo?
Most likely, but with the organization being under immense pressure to unite Stephen Curry with a star who could replace Jimmy Butler this season (he’s out with an ACL injury), it comprehended it didn’t have time to sulk.
All things considered, the Warriors’ trade season was a success.
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