[Slater] The Warriors have contacted the Bucks about their willingness to put together a substantial offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee has shown interest in Kuminga and Podziemski could help “nudge the needle.” The Warriors are unlikely to trade for Michael Porter Jr. or Andrew Wiggins.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47747441/the-biggest-questions-warriors-ahead-nba-trade-deadline
League sources told ESPN that the Warriors have contacted the Bucks in the past week and expressed their firm interest in Antetokounmpo and their willingness to put a substantial offer on the table regardless of his calf strain and undetermined return timetable.
It’s unclear if Antetokounmpo would consider the Warriors on his wish list. But his desires, like any superstar soon to be extension eligible, matter within the conversation. A deadline trade for Kevin Durant last February fell through after Durant made it clear he didn’t want a reunion with the Warriors. A temperature check with Antetokounmpo will be needed, ensuring he would embrace a partnership with the Warriors even if they weren’t his first choice.
But the Bucks are in the driver’s seat of a car full of crowded motives, able to trade Antetokounmpo in the next week or wait until a fuller market might develop in the summer. If they opt to strike now, the Warriors – among the expected aggressive suitors – have arguably the most appealing pick package. The quicker Milwaukee acts, league executives believe, the better chance Golden State has to win the bidding war.
Rival teams – such as the New York Knicks (Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby) and Miami Heat (Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware) – have superior young or mid-prime players to offer the Bucks. But Milwaukee has shown an interest in Kuminga dating to the summer, league sources said, and he would be viewed as an upside swing on a controllable contract as part of the return package.
Third-year guard Brandin Podziemski could also help nudge the needle, league sources said. The Milwaukee native is under contract next season at \(5.7 million, the final year of his rookie contract. To help salary match, the Warriors could also absorb one of Milwaukee's other veterans owed long-term money, such as Bobby Portis (three years, \)43.5 million remaining) or Kyle Kuzma (two years, $42.7 million remaining).
If the Warriors don’t acquire Antetokounmpo, there isn’t anyone on the current trade market who will force this level of asset aggression from them, team sources said.
The Warriors have been linked to other midtier players such as the Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. and Miami’s Andrew Wiggins, but team sources continue to throw cold water on those ideas. One team source said they haven’t and don’t plan to engage with Miami about a reunion with Wiggins.