Giannis Reportedly 'Could Be Turned Off' by Warriors for These 2 Reasons

The Stein Line's Jake Fischer published an update on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga on Monday that does not bode well for the Golden State Warriors.

Fischer wrote the following:

"For all of the Warriors' confidence that they have one of the strongest possible trade packages to offer in-season compared to teams like Minnesota and New York — replete with draft capital to package with Jonathan Kuminga — they have to be sure that Antetokounmpo wants to be there before going all in.

"And it's not yet clear if the Warriors can be.

"League sources say that Golden State is aware of recent rumblings that Antetokounmpo can't be assumed to be as eager as he was once perceived to be to relocate to Stephen Curry's town and team. How credible are such rumblings? Presumably only Giannis knows for sure. Yet I have heard from sources briefed on the situation that some in the know suspect Antetokounmpo could be turned off by the idea of joining an older team and/or facing the sort of criticism that Kevin Durant continues to absorb to this day about teaming up with Curry."

Let's assess both of Antetokounmpo's reported holdups.

Should Giannis Be Worried About Joining an Older Team?

This is a reasonable concern.

Stephen Curry is 37 years old. He hasn't dropped off much at all yet, but he won't fend off Father Time forever.

After Antetokounmpo and Curry, the Warriors would have either Jimmy Butler (36) or Draymond Green (35), depending on who they don't include in the Antetokounmpo trade for money-matching reasons.

Butler just tore his ACL and will likely miss a few months of next season. Green appears to be declining this season.

The Warriors don't have a young player who projects to be a cornerstone to help the Curry-Antetokounmpo tandem, and even if they did, they would have to include him to Antetokounmpo.

So, yes, Antetokounmpo should feel more confident with a younger star like Anthony Edwards.

Should Giannis Worry About Being a Scapegoat If Curry Doesn't Win 5th Ring?

This is such a complicated question to answer in a couple-hundred words, but I'll do my best.

I think the observation has its merits. When Kevin Durant was a Warrior, he wasn't embraced as much as he should have been. There were daily (and pointless) debates about whether the Warriors were Curry's team or Durant's team. To this day, some Warriors fans argue that Curry deserved at least one of the Finals MVPs Durant won.

But there are differences. For one, Durant joined a 73-team, making him a national punching bag. Giannis would not get that treatment for joining a Warriors team that hasn't made it past the second round since 2022.

Also, Durant never made a long-term commitment to the Warriors, bringing on some of the criticism he complained about facing. As long as Antetokounmpo signs a supermax extension with the Warriors, he wouldn't face some of the criticism Durant faced.

In conclusion, the circumstances around Curry and the Warriors are so different now that I don't see Antetokounmpo's reported concern being valid. Of course if the Warriors don't win a title and are awful in a few years, people will question whether trading for Antetokounmpo was the right decision. But the vitriol will likely be directed toward Joe Lacob and not toward a superstar who plays with as much heart and toughness as Antetokounmpo does.