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The Golden State Warriors had one hell of a run over the second half of the decade but they knew they were going to face an uphill battle heading into this season after losing Kevin Durant to free agency and Klay Thompson to an ACL tear he suffered during last year’s NBA Finals.
Draymond Green didn’t mince words after the team got off to a freezing cold start but little did he know the worst was yet to come, as Steph Curry eventually suffered a hand injury that will likely keep him sidelined for the rest of the season.
At the tail-end of October, Warriors owner Joe Lacob dismissed what (at least at the time) seemed like an absurd notion when he was asked if it would be in Golden State’s best interest to tank, but as things currently stand, it doesn’t seem so farfetched, as they’re sitting in the basement of the NBA standings with a 4-18 record and the worst winning percentage in the league.
As a result, it’s looking like a very real possibility that the Warriors could actually be in a favorable position to land the first pick in the draft when everything is said and done, and now, one insider thinks Golden State could land a major name if they manage to secure the top spot in the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Connor Letourneau addressed the possibility of what would be an absolutely blockbuster transaction by outlining a scenario where the Greek Freak could take his talents to the West Coast if he feels he’d have a better chance at winning a championship with the Warriors, saying:
“First of all, it’s highly unlikely that Milwaukee would make Giannis Antetokounmpo available in a trade. But if the Bucks did, they certainly would have a big asking price. The mega-trades that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers and Paul George to the Clippers have set the standard quite high.
If the Warriors got the No. 1 pick, they’d probably need to offer Milwaukee that selection, D’Angelo Russell, Draymond Green or Klay Thompson, and another young piece or two—think Eric Paschall and Kevon Looney—just for the Bucks to take them seriously.”
Sure, it may seem unlikely but crazier things have happened—like the Warriors becoming the worst team in the NBA virtually overnight.