Warriors Striking Out on Giannis Antetokounmpo Was a “Silent Admission” of Fading Title Hopes, Says Anthony Slater

The Warriors were one of the league’s major players this trade deadline. Their biggest move? Trading Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks, and getting Kristaps Porzingis in return. And while securing the big Latvian is a nice come up, it spells out a lot of things for the Dubs.

For one, they finally just gave up on the Kuminga saga, one that has been plaguing them since the offseason. The other? It seems like they ran out of steam on the Giannis Antetokounmpo hunt, and Porzingis was them doing something rather than nothing.

That’s at least what basketball insider Anthony Slater thinks. Slater spoke about the Warriors’ latest organizational shift during today’s NBA Today broadcast. “They struck out on Giannis. That’s just the reality,” he stated. It’s unfortunate because Steph Curry is playing lights out this year and carrying Golden State on his back. It’s a shame that a terrific Chef season might go to waste.

The former dynasty is in a bit of a strange limbo transition. They are good enough to make the postseason, but it doesn’t look like they’d be able to compete against the elites of the West. Slater even suggested that this was the Dubs admitting that they cannot go for a ring, but shows that they plan to be competitive.

“They went to their small swing, and I think it was a silent admission that the championship hopes are not necessarily there. They didn’t get Giannis. But Porzingis is a guy they’ve targeted since the Boston days. A stretch center that can rim protect next to Draymond Green that they think can help.”

That said, Slater isn’t ruling out that Golden State makes a play for a bigger superstar in the summer, which includes loading up a better package for the Greek Freak if he’s still available. “They’re gonna try and go for it to a small degree this year, and then they held their draft ammo for this summer. We’ll see if they get back in the Giannis sweepstakes or do something bigger.”

Porzingis isn’t Giannis, but he does give the Dubs a legit two-way big that fits their style and keeps them dangerous on any given night. Golden State clearly isn’t ready to tear it down while Steph is still playing at an elite level, but they’re also reading the room in a stacked West and not mortgaging every asset for a slim shot.

If Porzingis stays healthy (Slater says he should be ready to go by Saturday) and meshes with Draymond and Curry, they could be that annoying playoff team nobody wants to see. And if not, this move still keeps the door cracked open for a true all-in swing when the next superstar shakes loose.

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