Warriors’ best Giannis Antetokounmpo trade offer to entice Bucks before deadline

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Warriors’ best Giannis Antetokounmpo trade offer to entice Bucks before deadline

Kenzo Fukuda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jan 28, 2026 ·

8 min read

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The long-awaited day has arrived for both the Golden State Warriors and the NBA at large. Giannis Antetokounmpo is officially on the market , as the Milwaukee Bucks have finally begun to listen to aggressive offers for the franchise-altering superstar.

With Shams Charania's tweet in the wind, the media is in a frenzy to decipher potential landing spots for the two-time MVP, and teams are preparing their war chests for the inevitable bidding war. So begins the Warriors' pursuit of Antetokounmpo , a player they haven't been shy about expressing their affinity for.

Golden State has long dreamed of pairing the interior dominance of Antetokounmpo with the three-point, gravitational brilliance of Stephen Curry – a dream that remains a puff of smoke but also looks closer to materializing than ever before due to Antetokounmpo finally being on the market. And it could not come at a more urgent time for Golden State.

With Jimmy Butler lost for the season, now more than ever do the 26-22 Warriors seek an answer to their middling season– an answer to keep Curry competitive in his twilight years.

But what do the Warriors have to offer for one of the best trade assets to hit the open market in recent history? Do they have enough in the war chest to outbid rival teams and convince the Bucks to send their beloved Greek Freak to the Bay? Let's unpack what the Warriors have to offer and if it's enough to bring the Greek Freak to the Bay.

Golden State's war chest– lots of potential ping pong balls

Tradable Contracts

Multi-year : Jimmy Butler III ($54.1 million, UFA 2027), Moses Moody ($11.6 million, UFA 2028), Buddy Hield ($9.2 million, Player 2027)
Expirings : Draymond Green ($25.9 million, Player 2026), Jonathan Kuminga ($22.5 million, Team 2026), Trayce Jackson-Davis ($2.2 million, Team 2026), Gui Santos ($2.2 million, UFA 2026), Quinten Post ($1.9 million, RFA 2026) Al Horford ($5.7 million, Player 2026), Gary Payton II ($2.3 million, UFA 2026), De'Anthony Melton ($3 million, Player 2026)
Rookie scale : Brandin Podziemski ($3.7 million, RFA 2027)

Draft Capital

Their own first round picks over the next seven years. They can trade a maximum of four: 2026, 2028, 2030 (if it falls in the 1-20 range, otherwise conveyed to Wizards ), and 2032.
First round swap rights in the next seven years.

Apron Status

$264,000 below the second apron (hard capped).

Golden State has the salaries to make an Antetokounmpo trade feasible. However, any trade package would have to include Butler's near-perfect $54.1 million salary. Otherwise, they'd have to cobble together contracts with Draymond Green 's $25.9 mil as a base.

General manager Mike Dunleavy has balked at trading an injured Butler, saying he doesn't envision using his contract to make a trade. But a player of Antetokounmpo's caliber certainly recalibrates that sentiment, while also matching Dunleavy's assessment of who they'd be willing to trade their precious post-Curry picks for .

"If we're talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn't here," Dunleavy said last week. "It's going to have to be for a player that we think will be getting back, that is going to be here when those picks are going out. So that the players would have to be pretty impactful."

Golden State knows the value of its draft picks, which is why they've been hesitant to deal them. In a post-Curry world, those picks have a great chance of falling into the lottery and are their only way to build their future, given how their young core has fallen short of expectations. Even if they acquire Antetokounmpo (who's quietly 31 years old), those picks remain valuable given the likelihood that the potential Giannis-Warriors situation devolves similarly to how it has in Milwaukee.

Aside from the picks and contracts, Golden State doesn't really have the young, intriguing talent that is often a key component of a superstar trade. Jonathan Kuminga seems like an intriguing young wing. However, ongoing issues with Steve Kerr and the Warriors have diminished his trade value and raised significant questions about his upside. And while Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are solid young assets, both lack star upside in the event they'd be leading a lottery-bound Bucks team.

The Jimmy Butler package

Warriors receive : Giannis Antetokounmpo , Bobby Portis, Thanasis Antetokoumpo.

Bucks receive : Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and GSW's 2026 1st, 2028 1st, 2030 1st, 2032 1st (swap).

There would need to be a third team for Milwaukee to dump salary to take Moody, but this deal works straight up if the Bucks don't want Moody. Golden State could also get into the territory of offering all of its remaining pick swaps, but that would be extremely hasty of them to deal their entire seven-year future for one player. Even if that player is as great as Antetokounmpo

Regardless, the intrigue of this trade from the Bucks' side is simple. You get control of most of Golden State's future, including what projects to be two, maybe three post-Curry era picks, which fits their criteria of getting a boatload of draft assets. You get the entirety of Golden State's young core, which, while flawed, is good players with solid upside. And there's potential to swing Butler for something down the line.

As for the Warriors, you're essentially shorting the post-Curry future to go all in on Curry, Green, and Antetokounmpo right now. Of course, Antetokounmpo could be around when those picks convey if Golden State plays its cards right, which would soften the blow of those picks becoming lottery-bound. But ultimately, they turn an injured Butler into a top-3 player in the league, sacrifice the young guys, and fill out the roster with two-way guys until the offseason.

Given where Golden State stands, it's a package they should be willing to deal. The question remains: Is it enough to outbid other teams? In the likely event that the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes becomes a bidding war, the Warriors may be forced to surrender first-round pick swaps to up the ante.

The Draymond Green package???

Warriors receive : Giannis Antetokounmpo , Bobby Portis, and Gary Trent Jr.

Bucks receive : Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, and GSW's 2026 1st, 2028 1st, 2030 1st, 2032 1st (swap).

This would take Curry's blessing for the Warriors to deal with his long-time partner and good friend. But the idea behind this route for Golden State is to punt on this season (increasing the value of the 2026 pick) and bet on Butler getting healthy in a year to make a run with him, Curry, and Antetokounmpo.

From Milwaukee's side, Green could potentially fetch a good return on the market in the event they swing him for assets. Contending teams like the Lakers or the Spurs could express interest in a veteran defensive anchor with playoff experience. Otherwise, the principles of the Butler package remain largely the same. A lot of draft picks, including the post-Curry ones and a mediocre young player package, all of whom are also tradable.

As for Golden State, it's short-term pain for what looks like a two-year window. They'd be dedicating over $150 million in salary to only three players (all with injury concerns). They'd have very little future draft capital and would have to rely on minimum-level guys around the star core. And again, hope Butler can return to a similar level. It is a narrower route for Golden State but a potential option to explore.

How Golden State's package compares to the rest of the league

Picks-wise, Golden State could argue they have the best package in the league– that's how valuable those post-Curry era picks could be.

Other than the Thunder and Sam Presti's horde of picks, the Knicks , Rockets, T-Wolves, and Heat all lack the draft capital to contend with the four firsts and three pick swaps the Dubs could put on the table. The Atlanta Hawks certainly have the intrigue of dangling the Pelicans ' 2026 first, and the Detroit Pistons could certainly fashion a large pick package. But those picks run the risk of becoming middle-of-the-road late firsts, given how those teams would be very well positioned to contend with Antetokounmpo.

But as for valuable player assets, especially young player assets, other teams have the advantage over the Warriors.

Pick any of the Knicks' highly paid players, from Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to OG Anunoby and even Josh Hart – they're more valuable than a lot of guys on the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Rockets have genuinely high-upside young guys to offer in Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard if they decide to go down that route.

Same with the Pistons in Ausar Thompson , Ron Holland II, and Jaden Ivey . Not to mention all the lottery picks OKC has on their bench, the young wings the Hawks could offer, and the Spurs' nice combination of picks, good contracts, and young talent they could put in.

So could Golden State's package get it done? Maybe. It depends on the Bucks really valuing the post-Curry picks and other teams being unwilling to part with their young talent. And it might also depend on how many swaps and picks they'd really be willing to deal. I mentioned three and a 2032 swap, but Milwaukee could certainly ask for more. And at that point, is it even worth it for the Warriors to trade all of that for one guy?

Regardless, the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes are here, and Golden State is bound to explore its options in acquiring the generational superstar.

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