Just when Warriors fans started dreaming about a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Stephen Curry-Jimmy Butler Big 3 that could bend the space-time continuum, reality stepped in with a flying elbow like it’s 1998 WWE. The dream? On life support. The Warriors’ hopes of landing Giannis are looking about as strong as Ben Simmons’ three-point percentage.

Let’s break it all down before anyone gets too emotionally attached. The Bucks flamed out of the playoffs in the first round for the third straight year. That’s not a typo. Three straight early exits for a team that should’ve been title contenders. Naturally, the whispers about Giannis wanting a change of scenery came back like LeBron’s headband in Miami.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the two-time MVP is “open” to a trade. No demands yet. No “get me to LA” or “send me to the Knicks” tantrums. But in this league, “open” is NBA-speak for “get your offers ready.” And like clockwork, teams across the league started clearing cap space and sacrificing goats in hopes of summoning the Greek Freak.

You might’ve heard whispers about the Warriors circling the Giannis situation. Curry, Butler, and Giannis on one team? That’s like peak Avengers assembling with no salary cap. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II have already thrown cold water on that theory. In their words: “There are no early indications that the Warriors will be at the front of the line of the yet-to-materialize Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.”

Their current strategy? Rebuild around their core. And by core, we mean Jonathan Kuminga, who still has Lacob’s unwavering loyalty like he’s the NBA version of Jon Snow.

The Warriors will reportedly extend Kuminga a $7.9 million qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent. They’re also willing to explore sign-and-trade options, but let’s be honest — if Lacob has anything to say about it, Kuminga’s not going anywhere unless someone offers a package involving 1996 MJ and 2016 LeBron.

Brian Windhorst Spills the Giannis Tea

Leave it to Brian Windhorst to take things from 0 to conspiracy-level 10. On the Dan Patrik Show, he confirmed what we already suspected: “The Warriors couldn’t win a bidding war. If Milwaukee said the market’s open, there’s no way they can win a bidding war.” Ouch. But then he adds: “If Giannis went in and said, ‘I want to be with Steph Curry,’ that’s who I want to play with… is there a deal that could happen? Yes. I’d be lying to you if I told you the Warriors couldn’t trade for Giannis. That could happen. But it is not something that would happen if it was an open market.”

So basically — unless Giannis personally walks into the Bucks’ office and demands to be on a team with Curry, this isn’t happening. And it gets better. Windy went full basketball nerd mode, breaking down why San Antonio is the team to watch: “San Antonio could pay a king’s ransom for Giannis and still have pieces to build. If Giannis is looking at a team and says, ‘I’ll sign an extension with you,’ that changes everything.” San Antonio has Victor Wembanyama, who’s quickly turning into the 2K MyPlayer of our dreams — and a war chest of picks. Plus, Wemby’s development as a shooter is crucial.

“You want the floor spaced,” Windhorst added. “If you leave Victor open, he’ll kill you. And if you don’t, Giannis will jam it down your throat.” That’s probably the best summary of how terrifying this duo could be — Wemby raining threes while Giannis plays wrecking ball in the paint like he’s prime Dwight Howard with better handles.

Well, somewhere between “pipe dream” and “wishful thinking”, the Warriors have some assets. Podziemski is earning a modest $3.6 million and had a nice rookie year. He could be included in any trade package. Kuminga has value, too. Throw in some picks, and sure, there’s a skeleton of a deal. But as Windhorst noted, unless it’s a Giannis-or-bust-for-Curry demand from the man himself, the Dubs simply can’t outbid teams like the Spurs or Rockets. They’re too capped out, too tied up, and too focused on figuring out if this Curry-Butler experiment has legs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most desirable trade asset in the league right now. He’s a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, a walking fast-break, and a defensive menace. Teams will throw the farm, the family, and the franchise dog at Milwaukee if he asks out.

But Golden State? Unless the stars align, the Bucks get soft, and Giannis handpicks Steph like it’s the All-Star Draft, the Warriors are on the outside looking in. So if you were already Photoshopping Giannis in a Warriors jersey, you might want to save that energy. This ain’t NBA 2K Franchise Mode, and Bob Myers isn’t walking through that door.