Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors started the 2025-26 NBA season with championship aspirations. But a season-ending injury to superstar Jimmy Butler, and Curry’s runner’s knee condition have derailed their campaign. Despite the arrival of ‘unicorn’ Kristaps Porzingis in February, the Dubs remain short-staffed as they aim to gift Curry a fifth championship ring before he leaves at the end of next season.

One player who has been linked to GSW in almost every trade window in the last two years is Milwaukee Bucks franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo. The ‘Greek Freak’ remained in Wisconsin despite multiple rumors of a move before trade deadline day.

ESPN analyst Marc J. Spears revealed earlier today that Curry and Antetokounmpo met earlier this year, a sign of what’s to come.

“I went to Steph’s All-Star party, and there was only one non-warrior that came to the party, Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Spears said while speaking on the Willard and Dibs show. “I thought it was quite interesting that Giannis would come…that doesn’t mean that he’s coming here, but that means that he and Steph have a relationship. So I just think that when you Steph Curry, when you have this brand, when you have this city, like there’s some selling points there where they’ll always be in the mix for somebody big.”

Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 27.5 points and 9.7 rebounds in just 35 games this season, was seen frustrated after the Bucks’ latest 105-112 loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday. Milwaukee is on a three-game losing streak and finds itself 11th in the East with a 27-38 record. With his team’s dismal back-to-back campaigns and the rumored potential exit of HC Doc Rivers, Antetokounmpo could finally decide to leave the Bucks in June.

Yes, the Bucks will have to come up with creative trade ideas to make that happen. The potential exchange of someone like Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, or even Butler is not totally off the cards. But they’ll have to free up cap space to get this done. It will be interesting to see how this trade saga plays out in the summer.

Stephen Curry-LeBron James linkup remains a distinct possibility

Curry has been out since the end of January with a right patellofemoral issue. He was due to be back after the All-Star break. But follow-up scans have revealed additional bone bruising, and the Warriors have not provided a set timeline for a potential return.

If his condition stays as is, Dubs HC Steve Kerr and his team won’t risk rushing a return, especially if the Dubs don’t make the play-in game, which is a real possibility.

But Curry will need elite company when he returns, and with Butler dealing with an ACL injury, his recovery timeline and fitness level will be tentative as we get to October 2026. Despite the uncertainty, the ‘Curry’ brand and the idea of playing in The Bay could be enough to attract top talent.

“Steph knows that they’re going to try to do everything in their power to get somebody big, that’s what it means,” Spears added while on the show. “Well, obviously, there’s not a lot of money to throw around, right? You could also be creative in trades, but ultimately, when it comes to the bigger stars, like Steph is the ‘attraction’, so to me, there are certain people that are gonna be in play this summer that I think could be attracted to playing with Steph.”

One name that continues to pop up in these trade conversations is that of 41-year-old LeBron James. Spears reasserts that it is a real possibility.

“I think if LeBron James is a free agent, I don’t see him in a Lakers uniform. No one from the Lakers has told me that, just my guess. I would guess that Cleveland is his number one option, and Golden State would probably be right behind it. That’s just scuttlebutt from what I hear from people,” the ESPN analyst concluded.

A Curry-James partnership would ignite a dream backcourt fusion poised to redefine late-career legacies and chase one final elusive ring. The Warriors front office has a bunch of important decisions to make in the offseason, but leveraging Curry’s magnetic appeal to lure marquee free agents should not be a tough sell.