A recent report has connected the Golden State Warriors to three of the most talented forwards in the NBA right now in Giannis Antetokounpo, Kevin Durant and Paul George.
“That doesn’t mean it won’t be revisited in the summer,” Sam Amick, Anthony Slater and Jovan Buha wrote. “The Warriors’ lead decision makers still believe [Stephen] Curry’s longevity gives them a couple more seasons of possible contention, if the roster around him is up to it. If there’s a path to LeBron [James], or Giannis Antetokounmpo (their dream scenario), or impending free agent Paul George or a reunion with Kevin Durant, they will explore it.
“But, as a Warriors source reiterated in the lead up to the deadline, sometimes ‘it can be simpler to develop a star wing than acquire one that isn’t available.’ Cheaper and more rewarding, also.”
The Warriors allegedly tried to acquire another one of the league’s top forwards in James ahead of the trade deadline. The Philadelphia 76ers also had interest in trading for the 39-year-old.
Durant spent three seasons in Golden State earlier on in his pro career and won two titles with the franchise in 2017 and 2018. In the 2017 NBA Finals, the Warriors eliminated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Fast forward to the 2018 championship series, and Golden State swept the Cavaliers.
Across 208 total regular-season appearances with the Warriors, Durant averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from deep.
As for George, he is in his fifth season as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers franchise and is averaging 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game on 45.7 percent shooting from the floor across 49 games played in the 2023-24 regular season.
The 33-year-old was recently selected to play in the 2024 All-Star Game, which marks the ninth All-Star nod of his NBA career so far.
Finally, Antetokounmpo has arguably been the best player in the NBA this season and is only 29 years old. He has missed just two of the Milwaukee Bucks’ regular-season games to this point and is averaging 30.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while shooting an incredibly efficient 61.1 percent from the field.
While Antetokounmpo, Durant and George would theoretically make the Warriors a better team on paper, they are all playing productive basketball for winning teams right now, meaning it’s arguable whether it’s a realistic possibility that any of them will be available this offseason.
