NBA Rumors: If KD walks this summer, Warriors could target Giannis in 2021

NBA Rumors: In the event that Kevin Durant elect to leave in free agency, the Golden State Warriors could target Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021

For the past few seasons, there’s no question that the Golden State Warriors have been light years ahead of the rest of the NBA. After all, this is a franchise that has figured out how to land five NBA All-Stars in the last few years.

You can question Kevin Durant‘s of DeMarcus Cousins‘ decisions to sign with the Warriors all you want, but the fact that Golden State’s management put themselves in position to make it all work is quite impressive and amazing in itself. The vision that this franchise had to get to this point is second to none in the history of NBA team building.

Question is, will they be able to stay light years ahead moving forward? There’s a very real chance that Kevin Durant leaves via free agency this summer, and in the event that he does would Golden State still have a plan in place?

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According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, it appears that if KD would leave during the off-season, the Warriors could pivot and target making a big splash during the summer of 2021. The summer is which Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to become a free agent.

"[via New York Times]I can promise you, furthermore, that the Warriors have internally mused about a run at Giannis — however futile it may prove to be — in the event they can’t convince Kevin Durant to re-sign this summer. Trying to sign the most attractive free agent available is on the first page of the Golden State owner Joe Lacob’s playbook"

Giannis is under contract with the Bucks for two more seasons after this one, and assuming he doesn’t sign an extension in the next two years, he will hit the open market soon. However, everything we know about Giannis suggests that the Warriors – or any team for that manner – would have a hard time prying him away from Milwaukee.

Most recently, when he told Colin Cowherd in an interview that his goal is to bring a championship to Milwaukee, and that he would never leave for Los Angeles.

It should be noted that players have made similar remarks in the past, and still ended up leaving their incumbent teams. Would Giannis? Tough to say, especially when the Milwaukee Bucks are currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference.

Sounds like that could be the next Warriors target, especially if KD elects to skip town during the summer.