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The Golden State Warriors can officially remove Giannis Antetokounmpo from their offseason trade wishlist.
The Milwaukee Bucks traded the 10-time All-Star to the Miami Heat on Monday for a massive haul, and even if the deal expands to three or four teams before it gets finalized, there’s no shot Miami will reroute their new generational 6-foot-11 forward.
The good news for the Warriors is that there are other Tier 1 superstars the franchise could target, with 34-year-old two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard likely at the forefront.
Bleacher Report’s Julia Stumbaugh thinks that the Warriors could duel with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Leonard before the start of the new season.
“The Warriors are currently on track to run things back with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green,” Stumbaugh wrote Tuesday. “Adding Leonard, who hasn't played more than 65 games in a season since 2017, might not help the Warriors with availability of star players next season.”
“Leonard did average 27.9 points per game when available last season. The Warriors could take the swing if they think adding that level of production, potentially by moving Jimmy Butler's contract, is what will turn this team from a play-in candidate to a contender next season.”
“The Thunder could be looking for a change after falling short of defending their 2025 title with a Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs. All-Star forward Chet Holmgren was held to 10.7 points per game during that elimination series.”
Leonard and Curry both have the same goal toward the latter half of their remarkable NBA careers: competing for another title as a primary scoring option. The fact that the aging future Hall of Famers’ timelines match up perfectly makes a groundbreaking deal between the Warriors and Clippers make too much sense not to materialize.
Leonard’s unguardable face-up game and pull-up jumper, combined with Curry’s otherworldly three-point shooting and dazzling side-to-side ball handling, would force opponents to take the Dubs seriously as title contenders next year.
Of course, it’ll all come down to the Warriors’ offer for Leonard, forcing the franchise’s front office to work overtime to beat out the Thunder, and likely several other organizations for Leonard this summer.
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