It was long feared and rumored that the Warriors would make a play for the superstar forward and they got the job done. Three years removed from the second of repeat NBA Finals appearances, Antetokounmpo told reporters at the Warriors jersey reveal for #34 how, with all due respect to the organization that drafted him after several teams had passed him by, he failed to see as bright of a future for the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that had not even made the Eastern Conference Finals in the last two seasons after bowing out to the Spurs, 4-1, in their second NBA Finals encounter that had been Antetokounmpo's MVP run.
To convince Milwaukee to accept the offer and to honor the salary cap rules, the Warriors parted with several future draft picks, including some from the New York Knicks in exchange for the services of Draymond Green, whose contributions to the Warriors have slipped in recent years since their era of contention with the Spurs. Green will form a rough-rider trio with Mitchell Robinson & DeMarcus Cousins, fresh off an impressive rookie campaign for LaMelo Ball at the helm that took the Knicks not only to the elusive post-season but also the second round before losing to the Celtics.
The big ticket item that sealed the deal was Klay Thompson, as the separation of powers saw the split of the Splash Bros in Golden State. One season removed from tearing his left ACL that saw Thompson show flashes of his pre-injury star talent, the deadly sniper will surely make some noise in Wisconsin. Many fans have pondered over Klay having his own team to lead forward, and now we'll see it happen. He joins Khris Middleton in Milwaukee, along with Brook Lopez, but not with point guard George Hill (who's agreed to join the rising Mavericks). The Warriors also parted with sophomore stud center, James Wiseman, a promising big man that will help soften the blow of losing Giannis. Also going to the Bucks is Eric Paschall.
Golden State's return for Draymond Green was two second round draft picks, along with Danuel House and divisive prospect Kevin Knox, III, who'll look to enter the next phase of his development with Coach Kerr and hopefully console the sad Warriors fans in Klay's stead. Keeping Andrew Wiggins--who'd long been rumored to be the one leaving--will also help the Warrors make a strong starting lineup. Golden State will be boosted by the well-known kinship of Giannis & Steph Curry, the bonafide leader of the team. Parting with Thompson is definitely a sore move, but it has necessarily secured the future of Golden State. As Curry begins to exit his prime years, the Greek Freek is just now entering into his own with stellar production.
