On the surface, bringing a Top 30 player of all time in Antetokounmpo still in his prime at 31 and pairing him with Steph Curry seems like a no-brainer. Even if Antetokounmpo is sidelined for the next few weeks with a calf injury, he will eventually bring 28 points and 10 rebounds per game to the floor while being a rim-rattling presence the team has not had since Wilt Chamberlain.
According to team sources, there's a sense on the ground that everyone on the Warriors' roster besides star guard Stephen Curry is vulnerable as the front office chases Antetokounmpo and figures out how best to reorient the roster in the late stages of Curry's career. Because of salary-matching purposes, either Green, who makes $25.8 million this season, or injured forward Jimmy Butler, who makes $54.1 million this season, would be a necessary part of the outgoing package to make a trade for Antetokounmpo work. Antetokounmpo's salary this season is $54.1 million.
"We're not playing hard," Antetokounmpo said. "We aren't doing the right thing. We're not playing to win. We're not playing together. Our chemistry's not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own. "At times, I feel like when we're down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it's not going to work."
If the Miami Heat is going to have a realistic opportunity to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they're going to need to find a way to add an additional first-round pick or two. That's the clearest pathway that the Heat has to pulling off the blockbuster move. The good news for the Heat is that they may have the exact player they'll need to pull off such a move before putting their best Giannis trade offer on the table.
