What's Warriors' Plan B if they can't swing trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The "Warriors Pregame Live" crew discusses the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors before Golden State's last game ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
What's Warriors' Plan B if they can't swing trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
We're less than 36 hours away from the NBA trade deadline, Mully, and we've seen some blockbusters happen earlier today.
You as a former GM, as a former player, what are these players feeling like?
Because we've heard from sources, from Steve Kerr himself, that basically everybody, except for Stephen Curry, is untouchable.
With the exception of Stephen Curry, I should say.
So what are these players, coaches, and his ex feeling here less than 36 hours away from the trade deadline?
Yeah, as, as we look at Buddy Hield smiling, because he's been through this, Bont.
It's experience.
this is part of the NBA calendar, part of the schedule, much like pre-season and the regular season schedule into the playoffs.
This is, something you have to get used to.
The younger players, there can be some anxiety and, and some un- you know, some tough feelings going on right now.
But a- over time, when you become a veteran, you get used to this time of year.
and in, you know, 36 hours, the time will come and go.
Some players have been moved already.
and when that time comes, then you resettle back in, you know, get to the All-Star break, and try to make a push after All-Star break.
Well, one player who's been traded multiple times is Buddy Hield, who spoke on that yesterday after shootaround.
I mean, you never know.
The point is, there's always smoke out there.
You just never know.
It just You always- that's why you always get a joke about it.
If it happens, it happens, you know?
Just, I'm- the way you, way you look at the- at it in life, you let the business of basketball control it, and, whatever happens out of it, happens out of it.
And, I'm just thankful I have a job and, you know, if I'm gonna go and stay with another team, I'm just know that if whoever gets traded, that another team wants me, perhaps.
And, I'm gonna go out there and do my, my, my, my best- to my best ability to, for that team, and, hopefully have a future with that team, too.
Or hope I'll keep I'll help the team go with this team.
So you can't predict it.
It's in the future of God's hands, and, man, it's, it's not, it's not easy, but it's our business, we deal with.
It's the business of basketball, we deal with it.
We remain on Giannis watch as it continues, and we've seen a multiple of reports regarding the Greek Freak, some suggesting the Warriors are not the desired destination of Antetokounmpo.
So do the Dubs have a plan B?
They had one last year when they acquired Jimmy Butler after originally going after Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant said, "Yeah, I'm good off the Bay Area."
They pivoted to Jimmy Butler, gave him a two-year deal, and it worked out for the Golden State Warriors.
Let's go inside to Chase Center for the first time all evening to NBA award-winning, the great KB, Kerrith Burke.
We have Petaluma's finest, Dalton Johnson, in the building, and of course, NBA champion Festus Ezeli.
What is happening, KB?
Do the Warriors have a plan B if the Giannis sweepstakes don't go their way?
I hope so.
I hope there's a plan B.
Listen, there's probably some things I mean, we know the, the Giannis talk is very loud.
We know that the Warriors are, in fact, in that hunt.
But if there are other things behind the scenes, maybe the Warriors are playing those things close to the chest.
You don't want other teams knowing your targets, because you don't want competition for those targets.
Let me actually turn it over to Dalton Johnson, because you're- you've been following what's going on with the trade talk, talking to the right people.
What can you tell us right now about a plan B?
Yeah, the plan B is the real question to me.
We all know that the Warriors have put all their eggs into a Greek basket, going for Giannis Antetokounmpo right now, and we know a good portion of who's involved with those trade, rumors as well, too.
Draymond Green is involved in those trades.
His contract is about $26 million right now.
You look at Draymond, you look at Giannis Kuminga, who I have heard from sources that the Bucks have had past interest in.
You look at other young players as well, too, and then there's the draft picks on top of that.
But what is the plan B, and is there one for the immediate future?
Where do you turn if you don't land Giannis?
And does this season after Jimmy Butler's injury present a path forward in the immediate future?
Do you look at, "Okay, do I move on to a Trey Murphy," somebody that the Warriors have been enamored with, no doubt about it.
But the Pelicans have no real reason to get off that right now.
Michael Porter Jr., everything I've heard hasn't been too strong as far as the Warriors' interest there.
And do the Nets feel like they can hold on to him as a centerpiece for this next iteration of the Nets, or do they need to move on, too?
You look at short-term help.
I even recently asked about a possible Andrew Wiggins reunion.
One league source shut that down, saying they're not gonna pay that.
Talking about paying that, is he's a $30 million player option next season.
Unless it's a superstar, the Warriors wanna keep their books clean, so then you look at maybe a mystery team.
I'm thinking of a team like the Chicago Bulls, who now, after today, are loaded up on guards.
Expiring contracts, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, another team that has had past interest in Giannis Kuminga as well, too.
So there's all these avenues and factors right now.
They're a little bit murky, they're a little bit cloudy, because we know right now it's all about one man in Milwaukee right now, Festus.
First of all, DJ, I will take no Andrew Wiggins slander on this broadcast.
I'm not slandering!
Andrew Wiggins- I'm not slandering ... was the second-best plus player on the championship team.
No, no, no, no.
Just reporting.
Just, just if I can report it.
Second, what I'll say is, Giannis, you go all in on Giannis.
Whatever you can get.
Matter of fact, the Milwaukee Bucks tell you what they're gonna give you for what Milwa- for what Giannis is gonna come here for, because of what he brings to the c- the game.
You know, the offensive firepower, the, the ability to attack the paint whenever they need, and that complementing with Steph, it's gonna be great, inc- when you add that to the size as well.
Well, if you don't get Giannis, there's a lot of other options.
There's guys like Michael Porter Jr., his size, his ability to shoot the basketball, he'll fit in very well to the system.
Trey Murphy has been playing incredible basketball.
It'd be really hard for me to see the New Orleans Pelicans get rid of him.
But really, the big question for the option B is, is the reward more than what you have to give up for it?
Yeah.
And the Warriors have Steph Curry, who is going to be 38 this year.
That's putting some pressure on the timeline for them.
Eh, but you either figure out if the Giannis deal is gonna work, or maybe you stand pat till the summer, where you have more options and more deals a- available to you.
Yeah.
How about the fact that the Jimmy Butler injury and this Giannis talk pushed Jonathan Kuminga's storyline into, like, off to the corner, a secondary storyline, but- on January 15th, the first day he was trade eligible, he got word out that he doesn't wanna be here.
He said that through his agent, he said that through the media, stating.
When you do that, you're publicly saying you don't wanna be on this team anymore.
Is that part of the Warriors' plans, to take care of that issue with Jonathan Kuminga?
Okay, today's Tuesday, right?
Yeah, it's Tuesday.
Giannis- Okay.
There's beautiful beaches over here.
There's mountains.
We have, we have amazing people, tech scene, you can invest!
All right.
There's a lot of things going good over here.
It's Tuesday.
The deadline is Thursday.
I'm just saying, Giannis.
I feel like stuff is about to heat up real quick.
You think Giannis is watching the pregame show of the Warriors- Oh, yes, he is- Of course ... he is a- Of course ... loyal, loyal watcher.
Yeah, absolutely.
Guys, back to you.
He's watching, wondering if Festus is in Cleveland or not, with the beanie on.
What is he doing?
It's 65 degrees out here with sunshine.
Festus, reporting from Milwaukee.
Well, let's bowl that same question over, as we bowl it over here on Warriors Pregame Live.
What does a plan B look like for the Golden State Warriors?
You're in Mike Dunleavy's seat, and you're not, I, I get it, but if you are, 'cause you've been in that seat before, what does that pivot look like for the Warriors?
Yeah, Monte, similar to the draft, you have several scenarios on your board.
and I'm sure Mike Dunleavy and his staff have, you know, obviously they've got the Giannis trade, Dalton mentioned Trey Murphy, Mi- Michael Porter Jr., the ones that we've all heard about.
But there's also contingency plans of different deals that financially make sense, and players they feel could fit their, their roster, fit the style of play, and impact winning.
So there's a lot of, deals that they have not talked about, that they have, you know, ready to go if they materialize.
Obviously, first and foremost, they're trying to get the Giannis deal done, and then work down from there.
these deals can happen quickly.
We've seen a lot of deals today go down, so you've gotta be ready.
When the opportunity, is there, you have to strike quickly.
so they've got a lot of, irons on different fires and trying to figure out which deal they can actually consummate.
We got about 30 seconds here.
What does a deal look like if, say, they don't get Giannis?
Do they look for shooting?
Do they look for wings?
What areas do they look for if they don't get the Giannis deal done?
Yeah, I, I think it becomes, Monte, either a big or a wing, a two-way wing player, like an MPJ, that type of player that can knock down threes, got some good size and athleticism.
