Warriors Reportedly Not 'At the Front of the Line' for Giannis amid NBA Trade Rumors

The pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo figures to be the biggest storyline of the upcoming NBA offseason, but the Golden State Warriors reportedly may not be one of the primary players despite a second-round playoff exit.

Instead, they will reportedly focus on building around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.

"There are no early indications that the Warriors will be at the front of the line of the yet-to-materialize Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, league sources said," Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported Thursday. "As they enter the summer, team sources said, the internal plan and conversation is about how to best reform the role players around the Curry and Butler duo, not chase another star."

Still, the future Hall of Famer has at least been on the Warriors' radar.

Sam Amick, Eric Nehm and David Aldridge of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Antetokounmpo has "been known to be a dream target of the Warriors for a long time."

If they are ever going to land him, this might be the offseason. ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday that "for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere."

That makes sense, as Damian Lillard could miss the upcoming campaign because of a torn Achilles. What's more, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis (player option), Taurean Prince, Kevin Porter Jr. (player option), Pat Connaughton (player option) and Gary Trent Jr. could all hit free agency this offseason.

Even if Antetokounmpo stays, the Bucks could be a step behind other Eastern Conference contenders such as the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.

Trading him this offseason could also allow Milwaukee to reset with an eye on the future and get some draft picks and young players in return. He has been linked to the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and more, but it seems like Golden State will instead focus on keeping its core together.

From the Warriors' perspective it isn't difficult to convince themselves the current core could have made a championship run if Curry stayed healthy. They defeated the second-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round and then won Game 1 of their second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road.

Yet Curry didn't play in Games 2 through 5, which allowed Minnesota to seize control of the series and ultimately advance.

Keeping the core together would also allow Curry and Butler more time to grow accustomed to playing alongside each other after the Warriors acquired the latter via a midseason trade with the Miami Heat.

Trading for Antetokounmpo would cost plenty in return, even if he is one of the league's best players. And the Warriors may not be willing to pay that price as they focus on the group they have after a second-round exit.