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Giannis Antetokounmpo with Stephen Curry
THE Warriors are not considered title contenders heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, with oddsmakers giving them 11th shortest rating to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Similarly, in the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Roe deer are also not considered championship threats, with the defending champions The Celts, Knicks And 76ers all above them in the hierarchical order of betting odds.
The Celts legend Paul Pierce believes that now could be an opportune time for both sides to join forces. “The KG certified ticket and the truth” Along with his former Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett, Pierce urged the Warriors to trade for Antetokounmpo.
“The only way I see Golden State getting back to where they need to be is if they can find a way to get Giannis there,” Pierce said on Aug. 23.
Asked if he had any information that Antetokounmpo was considering joining Golden State, Pierce said: “No, I’m just putting my general manager hat on and trying to say that’s the best-case scenario.”
Mutating Warriors
With Stephen Curry entering his late thirties, Klay Thompson bound for Dallas, and Jonathan Kuminga A few years removed from their peak, the Warriors are in the midst of a transformation heading into the 2024-25 season.
Even though most analysts expect the Steve Kerr-led team to struggle to make the playoffs, Pierce urged Curry to stay in the Bay Area and put pressure on the franchise to acquire a big name like Antetokounmpo.
“This is where I planted my trees, this is where I grew my flowers,” Pierce said of Curry’s dynamic with the Warriors. “This is where my roots are. I’m probably going to live here after I’m done playing.” [basketball]. So I just don’t see it. [Curry leaving].”
Curry has always maintained the same tone. During the Paris 2024 Olympic GamesCurry, 37, said Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that he wanted to end his career in the Bay.
“I can definitely say that I want to be a Warrior my whole life,” Curry said. “That’s always been my goal. And I say that sitting in this chair right now, but like you said, life, and especially life in the NBA, it’s a wild environment, and things change quickly, and the league has changed quickly, so we’re trying to adapt and evolve.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Buck for life?
Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, there was no indication that Antetokounmpo was interested in being traded to Milwaukee. Shortly after, the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard In the 2023 offseason, Antetokounmpo committed to the Bucks long-term by signing a maximum extension of three years worth $186 million.
The extension means Antetokounmpo has been signed with the Bucks through the 2027-28 season. The former two-time MVP has previously talked about following in the footsteps of Tim DuncanKobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki are players who have spent their entire NBA careers with one franchise. However, stranger things have happened in the NBA, and there is no guarantee that Antetokounmpo will remain in Milwaukee for the rest of his career.
The Bucks entered the 2023-24 season with a lot of hype after acquiring Lillard from the Blazers. In fact, Antetokounmpo’s team started the season as favorites for the title with the Celtics and were many analysts’ pick to win it all.
However, their season quickly turned sour in January when they First-year coach Adrian Griffin fired despite a 30-13 record at the time. The drastic coaching change during the season did not help the Bucks who finished the season on a disappointing note, suffering a first-round playoff loss to the Pacers.
During his end-of-season press conference, Antetokounmpo spoke about using adversity as fuel in the 2024-25 season.
Sai Mohan He covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports journalist with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including stints at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and many others. Learn more about Sai Mohan
