Report: Warriors Ended Trade Deadline Bid for 2-Time All-Star to Pursue Giannis

The Golden State Warriors reportedly had interest in big man Jaren Jackson Jr. at the 2026 trade deadline before abandoning that pursuit and going all in on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

ESPN's Anthony Slater said on The Hoop Collective podcast that the Dubs explored a trade for the two-time All-Star who won Defensive Player of the Year with the Grizzlies in 2023.

That confirms a February report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, who added that the Warriors "tabled those conversations" because they needed all of available their first-round picks for an Antetokounmpo trade.

Jackson ended up being traded to the Utah Jazz in a package centered around three first-round picks.

The Bucks kept Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, and the Warriors pivoted at the last minute to dealing disgruntled forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Buddy Hield for center Kristaps Porzingis.

Jackson Is the Type of Player the Warriors Need to Gamble On

Though Shelburne reported the Warriors were considering giving up two first-rounders for Jackson, he ended up going for three.

Is Jackson worth three lightly protected first-round picks? If he is, it's not obvious.

He's never been a prolific rebounder, and though he can score in a variety of ways, he's not a super-efficient player.

But he fits the general type of gamble the Warriors need to make.

Jackson is 26 years old. He's already a very good player. Could he reach new heights playing with Stephen Curry? It's possible.

It's a similar conversation with Trey Murphy III. He doesn't have the resume to suggest he's worth three first-round picks, but he could jump up a tier in new surroundings, in which case he would be worth that price.

Of course the Warriors would love to land someone like Antetokounmpo, but they've waiting for a move of that caliber for about seven years. It's probably not happening.

They could go after an older, more established star with injuries concerns like Kawhi Leonard. But when the older star hits his decline, the Dubs will be left with nothing from trading their picks.

At least with someone like Jackson or Murphy, the Warriors would have a fringe star who could recoup draft capital if they needed to trade them later.

Jackson ended up missing the rest of the 2025-26 season to remove a growth in his left knee. Had the Dubs traded three first-rounders and not had Jackson for the 2026 play-in tournament, it would have been a major blow.

With that said, the Warriors' 2026-27 season prospects would look better with Jackson instead of Porzingis. Jackson is a better player, and just as importantly, he was mostly healthy the four seasons prior to 2025-26.

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