If the Bucks’ willingness to “listen” on Giannis Antetokounmpo cracked open a door, the league has immediately started measuring who can actually walk through it with a credible offer. Right now, multiple league sources spoken to by NBC Sports are leaning toward Golden State as the most realistic landing spot, not because the Warriors can beat everyone in a bidding war with blue-chip young stars, but because they can overwhelm it with the currency Milwaukee is most likely to prioritize: future draft control.
Anthony Slater’s reporting at ESPN aligns with that read and gets specific on why the Warriors’ package is uniquely clean. According to Slater, Golden State can offer up to four first-round picks, 2026, 2028 and 2032 unprotected, plus a conditional pathway to include 2030 depending on where that pick lands because of protections tied to an obligation to Washington from the Jordan Poole–for–Chris Paul trade. That’s the kind of long-horizon ammo front offices covet in a true superstar reset: picks that aren’t just “first-rounders,” but picks that could plausibly become premium once Stephen Curry’s era is over and the roster’s age curve catches up.
Slater also reported the Warriors have contacted Milwaukee within the past week to register firm interest, and that they’re willing to put a substantial offer on the table even with Antetokounmpo currently sidelined by a calf strain. The strategic wrinkle is timing. NBC Sports notes that many around the league still believe an Antetokounmpo deal is more likely in the offseason than in the final days before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, when teams have less time to broaden packages and fewer bidders can realistically mobilize.
Golden State’s angle is straightforward: if Milwaukee moves fast, the Warriors’ “war chest” of distant picks can look especially attractive, because those are the assets that retain value no matter how the salary matching shakes out. And while other suitors may be able to headline offers with stronger present-day players, the Warriors’ pitch is built on the fear every small-market team understands, that the most valuable pick is often the one that comes after the legend ages out and the bill finally arrives.
None of this guarantees Giannis ends up in the Bay. Milwaukee can wait, widen the auction, and keep searching for a return that mixes picks with a true cornerstone. But the reporting is clear on why Golden State keeps rising in these early conversations: when the debate becomes “who can pay the most,” four first-rounders, especially the ones that live beyond the Curry calendar, are a persuasive opening bid.
