In a league where stars switching teams is an annual occurrence, could the Golden State Warriors trade for Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo with an offer that includes Jimmy Butler? Fox Sports 1’s Colin Cowherd thinks it should be prioritized. As Butler sets out to prove his critics wrong in his first full season with the Warriors, Cowherd is skeptical, while the Bucks are one disappointing season away from receiving an Antetokounmpo trade request.
Some say it’s less as the clock is ticking on whether the Bucks can make their first deep playoff run following three consecutive first-round exits. Antetokounmpo has already threatened to play for another team if Milwaukee doesn’t emerge as a title contender this season, which sets the table for an enticing trade package for the Warriors, as Cowherd noted, per Fox Sports 1’s The Herd.
“Jimmy Butler’s a fling. He’s not a phase. And I think it’s time for the fling — at the trade deadline — to end,” Cowherd said. “And I love Jimmy Butler. But Steve Kerr is too smart to think that 37-year-old Steph [Curry], 35-year-old Draymond [Green], 36-year-old Jimmy Butler, and now 39-year-old Al Horford can compete in the West. They can’t.”
For Colin Cowherd, the Warriors can offer a trade centered on a veteran who can help the Bucks win now and a 23-year-old forward with high upside who’s on the cusp of becoming a 20+ point scorer, in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I would trade Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, and four first-round picks for Giannis, and see if it’s enough,” Cowherd added. “Jimmy Butler played at Marquette. So, he’s coming home, and he’s still a lethal free-throw shooter—big-game performer. Jonathan Kuminga averaged 20 a game last year when he didn’t play with Steph. They don’t work that well together. Although when he didn’t play with Steph, he had some really nice nights.
“And he’s a better player today. And he’s only 23-year-old, and then four first-round picks, and first-round picks are going to be more valuable than they were the previous decade.”
“I would trade Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, and 4 first round picks for Giannis.”@colincowherd thinks the Warriors need to shake things up if they want to compete for a title pic.twitter.com/5EIIH086H6
https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/1981076953999274118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Jonathan Kuminga’s play left Warriors ‘buzzing’ vs Lakers
Entering the 2025-26 campaign with a new extension, Jonathan Kuminga made a play that excited the Warriors. Kuminga started in the Warriors’ 119-109 win against the Lakers on Opening Night. He finished with 17 points, six assists, and one of his nine rebounds, which showed off his athleticism, and got the Warriors bench going, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
“That rebound is what everyone in the world has been waiting to see. You have that athleticism, you go make big plays,” Green said. “You have superstar potential, you go make big plays. Those are game-winning plays.”
The Warriors will host the Nuggets on Thursday.
