Warriors get concerning Giannis Antetokounmpo trade update

Acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed more like a fantasy than a realistic in-season possibility for the Golden State Warriors a few weeks ago. 

With the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA champion forward and former Finals MVP claiming he would never request a trade from Milwaukee, the Warriors’ odds of landing him in a blockbuster trade were slim. 

Now that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are prepared to part ways, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Golden State has a chance to change the narrative surrounding their unimpressive 2025-26 campaign. 

According to a concerning report from ESPN’s Bobby Marks, though, a deal may not occur in the offseason.

“I wasn’t surprised as far as that (the report) coming out, but I’ll be more surprised if a deal gets done by next Thursday,” Marks stated Thursday. “I’m probably more in the camp that this is going to drag into the offseason here when we get into the lottery and into free agency.”

Why is it problematic that the Warriors would have to wait until the summer to snag Antetokounmpo? Well, considering the seven-time NBA champions need him now to salvage their season, Marks’s report is far from ideal.

The Warriors could still make an enticing offer to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo before the Feb. 5  trade deadline. However, there’s a good chance Milwaukee will feel motivated to retain its star forward until the offseason.

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