Thunder Notes: Williams, McCain, Bench, Presti
The Thunder are heading into San Antonio with a tied series and a question mark hanging over their All-NBA wing, Jalen Williams, who is currently listed as day-to-day with a left hamstring injury and is questionable to play on Friday.
Whether Williams returns for Game 3 or misses the rest of the series, the Thunder should still feel good about their chances to beat the Spurs and advance to the NBA Finals, Joe Mussatto writes for The Oklahoman. That’s partly because of the injuries facing the Spurs’ backcourt, as both De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper are questionable for Game 3. It’s also because the Thunder are, by now, experienced in winning without Williams.
“Obviously if we don’t have him it hurts,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I still believe in this team, though. Like you said, we played a bunch of games without him, won big games without him, but I still think we can get the job done. But yeah, losing a guy like that, a caliber of player like that, no matter how good your team is otherwise, it hurts a little bit. And also for him as a human being. He had a tough year with injuries.”
While Williams is a more accomplished, experienced player than Harper, Mussatto posits that in this particular matchup, Harper might be more important to the Spurs’ game plan than Williams is to the Thunder’s, especially if Fox remains out.
We have more notes from the Thunder:
- While Jared McCain is known for his three-point shooting, as well as his TikTok dances, he knows that to play in this hard-fought series, he will need to tap into a more gritty skill set. “Anything I can do. Shot’s not falling, I want to stay on the court no matter what,” he said, per Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman (video link). “So if I can make some hustle plays, get some rebounds, anything I can to stay in the floor I wanna do.” McCain contributed four offensive rebounds, three assists, and two steals in his 26 minutes during Game 2, bringing a level of hustle that seemed to help energize the team even though he shot just 4-of-14 from the field.
- McCain isn’t the only Thunder reserve who understands what it will take to earn minutes at the highest level. The Thunder’s bench is deep with players who stay ready for their number to be called, Justin Martinez writes for The Oklahoman. That includes Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso, the last of whom has been integral to the team’s success so far this season. “I think it’s just a team that, one through 15, everyone is always ready,” Mitchell said. “Everyone really buys into it. I feel like every time we put someone in, he’s going to have an impact, which is huge.” Caruso, who has two championships to his name and is looking for a third, said that having that mindset is a prerequisite for achieving what the team hopes to achieve. “It’s that time of year,” he said. “If you’re not fearless, then you’re probably gonna lose and go home. You’ve got to lay it all out on the line if you want to win. If you want to win big, at least. If you want to win the last game of the season, which I do. Every time that I’m here, I want to win the last one. For me, it’s pretty easy to get myself going and lock into that mentality.”
- When general manager Sam Presti recruited Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent, there was little in the way of flash, despite the fact that he would eventually offer the German center the largest free agent contract in Thunder history. Instead, Presti focused on what really mattered to him: the team identity he had spent years building. “I can’t promise you minutes,” Presti told Hartenstein, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I can’t promise you a role. But I can promise you a culture.” After losing to the Mavericks in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, Presti didn’t panic or go star-hunting. Instead, he focused on bringing in the kinds of players who would enhance the stars already on the roster: Hartenstein, for one. Caruso, for another. It’s a decision that has been felt and appreciated throughout the organization. “Sam has passed on talents to get human beings,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That mindset has really helped this group. It’s a big reason why we all get along so well and have this chemistry that everyone talks about. Sam brings a certain type of person in here.” Those two players proved crucial in Oklahoma City’s first title run last season, and have been equally critical this postseason, as they’ve hit timely shots, played physical defense against the likes of Victor Wembanyama, and made the hustle plays that set the Thunder’s hard-nosed defense apart.
Cavaliers Notes: Culture, Mitchell, Tyson, Process
One of the hardest things a team can do is try to rebuild an identity from scratch after the departure of a superstar, but that’s what the Cavaliers have done in the years since LeBron James‘ second departure, Dave McMenamin writes for ESPN.
“When LeBron left, we just fell flat on our faces because we just weren’t rooted in anything,” a team source told ESPN. “We weren’t rooted in anything foundational in terms of culture or team-building or player development. We were just rooted in the culture of LeBron.”
After several years of slowly setting pieces in place, the Cavs’ rebuild took a leap forward when they brought in Donovan Mitchell. The athletic shooting guard quickly became a steadying influence on the team, both as a leader in the locker room and a rising tide on the floor. His leadership emphasized empowering and preparing the younger players on the team for the rigors that come with being a top team in the league.
“Four years without him, in the rebuild: one play-in game,” a team source said of Mitchell. “Four years with him: four playoff appearances, three second-round appearances, a conference finals appearance.”
With Mitchell in place, the Cavaliers became one of the most successful regular season teams in the league, but the highest levels of playoff success still eluded them. Sources told McMenamin that the second-round loss to the Pacers in 2025 was like “getting punched in the face” for the team that had the second-best regular-season record in the league. That disappointment created the necessary conditions to trade Darius Garland for James Harden this season.
“We needed to change … I said it even before we won these two series. We’re a better team,” coach Kenny Atkinson said of the Harden deal. “I’ve been saying, ‘We’re a better team, we’re a better team, we’re a better team.’ And even though with James, it’s not perfect because we’ve only been together [for] two and a half months. …I’ll take the character and kind of toughness we added over that.”
We have more from the Cavaliers:
- Mitchell appeared limited by an injury of some sort in Game 1, which prompted conversations, including on the broadcast, about his health status during Game 2, which he started more tentatively than usual. He denied any such injury, writes Stephen Whyno of AP News, saying that he felt “great.” However, Atkinson was less ready to dismiss the idea. “Donovan, he’s not complaining about it to me,” the coach said. “I did see him trying to work through it — probably some stiffness. But I asked him if he wanted to come out in the fourth quarter and he’s like, ‘I’m fine,’ so I think he’s fine.” Game 3 on Saturday night will be Cleveland’s seventh game in 13 days, whereas the Knicks got well over a week to rest after their second-round sweep of the Sixers. The Cavs star isn’t letting that be an excuse, though. “We’re not tired,” Mitchell said. “We’re not tired. We’re ready to go for Game 3.“
- Jaylon Tyson was one of the Cavs’ standout role players this season, raising his points per game from 3.6 as a rookie to 13.2 in his second year while making 42 starts. After playing just 10 minutes over the last three games of the team’s seven-game series against the Pistons, Tyson didn’t see the court in Game 1 against the Knicks. Atkinson said after the first loss that he wasn’t ruling out Tyson and that his decision had been more about how he felt about the group that was already on the floor, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “He’s still alive. We’ll need him,” Atkinson said prior to Game 2. “Don’t know if it’s tonight, but he’s right there. We were playing well with the group we had out there most of the game. He’s in the bullpen warming up.” The 6’6″ guard ended up playing over 10 minutes on Thursday, the most playing time he’d seen since May 9, but he struggled to find the range from deep, going 0-for-3 on three-pointers.
- Despite the 2-0 hole the Cavs find themselves in, they believe in the way they’ve approached the series, Joe Vardon writes for The Athletic. “Our process was right tonight,” Mitchell said after Game 2. Despite not taking a single shot in the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley used the same terminology, saying, “It was definitely the right process. There’s definitely a few possessions you want back and a few turnovers and stuff like that, but overall, I feel like we played a pretty good game.” One aspect of the Cavs’ process was forcing the ball away from Knicks star Jalen Brunson and into Josh Hart‘s hands. For a quarter, it looked like it was working, but Hart caught fire beginning in the second quarter and finished the game with 26 points on 5-of-11 shooting from three.
- Still, the Cavaliers aren’t heading back to Cleveland feeling defeated, writes ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “That’s just how our whole playoffs have been, our back against the wall,” Jarrett Allen said. “We like to keep things interesting. We like to keep everybody stressing about what the next game is going to be like. This is no different from what we’re doing now. We’ve got to take care of home court.” The Cavs shot just 25.7% from three in Game 2, with sharpshooters Max Strus and Sam Merrill combining to go 1-for-11. They’re relying on their role players finding the range now that they’ll be at home for the next two games.
Latest On NBA’s ‘3-2-1’ Lottery Reform Proposal
The NBA has sent the latest version of its “3-2-1” draft lottery reform plan to team owners ahead of their Board of Governors meeting next week, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. The governors are expected to vote on May 28 on whether or not to approve the proposal.
As O’Connor writes, the NBA’s proposal hasn’t undergone any real changes since the details were first reported last month. It still features 16 teams, 37 total lottery balls, flattened odds, a “relegation zone” for the league’s bottom three teams, protection restrictions in the 12-15 range, and each of the top 16 picks being determined by a lottery drawing.
However, according to O’Connor, the league has since provided additional information how a pair of rules affecting repeat lottery teams would work. One of those rules prohibits teams from winning the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back drafts, while another prevents clubs clubs from landing top-five picks in three consecutive years.
The NBA has since offered the following clarifications related to those rules, per O’Connor:
- Those restrictions will apply in 2027 based on the 2025 and 2026 lottery results, which means the Wizards would be prohibited from landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 lottery after winning it this year.
- In the event that the lottery ball of a prohibited team is drawn, they would be moved down to the first permissible draft slot. For instance, if the Wizards’ ball comes up at No. 1 in next year’s lottery, they’d be moved to No. 2 instead.
- These restrictions apply to the team that originally owned the draft pick.
While the first two clarifications seem reasonable enough, the third may result in some push-back.
Using the Jazz as an example, O’Connor explains that because they had the No. 5 overall pick in 2025 and have No. 2 in 2026, Utah’s pick wouldn’t be permitted to land in the top five in 2027 even though it’s controlled by the Grizzlies, who will receive the most favorable of Utah’s, Minnesota’s, and Cleveland’s first-rounders next year.
If it had been the Grizzlies and not the Jazz who had landed in the top five in each of the past two drafts, Memphis could still have a shot at a top-five pick in 2027 via Utah’s selection, since it wouldn’t be subject to the same three-year restriction — in that hypothetical scenario, only the Grizzlies’ own pick would be prohibited from being in the top five, whether or not Memphis still controlled it.
As O’Connor notes, this rule could materially change the value of several future traded picks between 2027-29. When the Grizzlies acquired that “most favorable” 2027 first-rounder from the Jazz in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade in February, they presumably viewed Utah as the likeliest of the three teams to end up in the lottery and believed that pick could move as high as first overall. If Minnesota and Cleveland make the playoffs next season and Utah doesn’t, it would – from Memphis’ perspective, at least – essentially add top-five protection to that traded first-round pick.
We should get a better sense in the coming days about how teams feel about that rule and about the proposal in general. While the NBA is determined to institute a new anti-tanking policy that begins next season, the “3-2-1” plan could still undergo changes before it receives approval from the Board of Governors.
And-Ones: Wemby’s Impact, FAs, World Cup Qualifiers, Okobo
Rival teams are watching what Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are doing in this postseason with interest and trepidation, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick details, front offices around the NBA – recognizing that Wembanyama will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come – are thinking hard about ways to combat him.
“Teams will definitely have to start figuring out, ‘How do we get through this guy?'” an Eastern Conference executive said. “So you look at it, and it’s like, ‘What do we need? How do we build our team to get better to compete against (Wembanyama and the Spurs)?’ Trust me, it’s on everybody’s mind. Teams will try to find ways that they can build a roster out to beat the Spurs, just like they are to beat OKC.”
That executive pointed to Utah’s mid-season acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. as a move that may have been made with Wembanyama in mind, since the Jazz now have three athletic frontcourt players – Jackson, Walker Kessler, and Lauri Markkanen – to throw at the Spurs star. That same exec also suggested that a prospect like 7’3″ Michigan center Aday Mara could see his draft stock rise as teams seek players capable of slowing down Wembanyama.
Wembanyama’s impact could even have a ripple effect on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s trade value this offseason, as one Western Conference executive told Amick: “Giannis is a matchup solution for Wemby, so I could definitely see teams factoring that in when they’re discussing trading for him.”
Still, there’s no obvious answer for stopping this sort of unique player who looks capable of becoming one of the league’s all-time greats.
“He’s a problem from inside the half court, and there’s just no one like that,” an exec said to Amick with a laugh. “At least Shaq was human in the sense that you needed three centers to bang with him. You’ve got 18 fouls (to work with). Maybe one was skilled, and the other two could hold him up while the other guys get rest. But there’s no archetype like (Wembanyama) — no player ever. It’s a problem, and it’s going to be a problem for 15 years.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a closer look at 20 of this summer’s top free agents, breaking down what sort of contract he’d offer each player. Marks’ hypothetical offers include five years and $180MM for Pistons center Jalen Duren, four years and $155MM for Lakers guard Austin Reaves, three years and $130MM for Wizards guard Trae Young, and two years and $40MM for Warriors forward Draymond Green.
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, Wizards big man Alex Sarr, and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher are among the players included on France’s preliminary roster for this July’s FIBA World Cup qualifying games (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Serbian head coach Dusan Alimpijevic told Mozzart Sport that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is expected to suit up for the Serbian national team during both World Cup qualifying windows this offseason, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays.
- Former NBA guard Elie Okobo has been named the Most Valuable Player of France’s top basketball league (LNB Elite), Askounis writes for Eurohoops. Okobo, who appeared in 108 regular season games for Phoenix from 2018-20, averaged 16.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game with an outstanding .621/.506/.883 shooting line in 24 domestic league games for AS Monaco in 2025/26.
- Kevin Sweeney of SI.com explores how new eligibility requirement guidance distributed by the NCAA could impact international players looking to play college basketball going forward.
John Blackwell Withdrawing From Draft, Transferring To Duke
After declaring for the draft as an early entrant this spring, guard John Blackwell will remove his name from consideration and play college basketball in 2026/27, reports Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link).
Blackwell has spent his first three college seasons at Wisconsin but will transfer to Duke for his senior year, Haynes notes.
As a junior in 2025/26, Blackwell increased his scoring average to 19.1 points per game on .430/.389/.859 shooting in 34 contests (33.8 MPG). He also contributed 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Badgers, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten third team.
This was the second straight year in which Blackwell tested the draft waters. He participated in the combine in Chicago last week and performed well in 5-on-5 scrimmages, scoring 16 points on day one. However, his measurements – including his wingspan – were underwhelming and likely didn’t do much to help his draft stock. He’s currently ranked 81st on ESPN’s big board.
Blackwell will be automatically draft-eligible in 2027 after playing for the Blue Devils next season.
Bulls Get Permission To Interview Heat’s Chris Quinn
The Heat have granted the Bulls permission to interview assistant Chris Quinn for their open head coaching position, a source tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
A former NBA point guard between 2006-13, Quinn transitioned into coaching after his retirement as a player and spent one season as an assistant at Northwestern before joining the Heat in 2014. He has been an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff for over a decade, earning a promotion to associate head coach during the 2024 offseason.
While Quinn’s lengthy stint with the Heat suggests he’s perfectly happy in Miami, there have been persistent rumors in recent years about teams eyeing him as a potential head coach. He has been connected to coaching vacancies on an annual basis, most recently being identified as a candidate for the Suns in 2025. He also interviewed with at least the Lakers and Cavaliers in 2024 and talked to the Bucks, Pistons, and Raptors in 2023, according to reports at the time.
The Bulls are in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Billy Donovan last month, with new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham running the team’s search.
Quinn is one of many rumored candidates linked to the job — Sean Sweeney, Wes Unseld Jr., James Borrego, Micah Nori, Dave Bliss, Lamar Skeeter, Ryan Schmidt, and Jerry Stackhouse are also said to be on Chicago’s radar.
Pacific Notes: Williams, Kings, Draymond, Clippers
Will the Suns re-sign Mark Williams as a restricted free agent this summer? Gerald Bourguet of Sports360AZ.com tackles that question in depth, writing that he can envision a scenario in which Phoenix’s starting center departs this offseason, especially if another team is willing to pay him in the range of $20-25MM annually.
However, if there’s not much of a market for Williams, it’s more likely he’ll either work out a new multiyear deal with the Suns or accept his one-year, $9.6MM qualifying offer and try his luck in unrestricted free agency in 2027.
[RELATED: 2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns]
As Bourguet writes, the fact that 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach projects to be the Suns’ center of the future figures to factor into the front office’s decision on Williams. While Maluach may not be ready to start on opening night in 2026/27, one source told Bourguet they believe last year’s No. 10 overall pick could overtake Williams for that role by the end of next season. If the Suns feel the same way, they may only view Williams as a “temporary stopgap,” Bourguet notes.
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, Louisville guard Isaac McKneely, Grand Canyon forward Jaden Henley, Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall, Xavier forward Tre Carroll, and Duke center Maliq Brown are taking part in a pre-draft workout with the Kings on Friday, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link). None of those prospects shows up within the top 70 players on ESPN’s big board.
- Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area takes a closer look at what the offseason might hold for Draymond Green, whose value around the NBA appears to be on the decline as he weighs a decision on a player option worth $27.7MM. Green seems more likely than not to stick with the Warriors, Poole writes, though it remains to be seen whether that means opting in or negotiating a new contract with the team.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a look at some of the key decisions facing the Clippers this summer, including whether to trade or potentially extend star forward Kawhi Leonard and whether or not to re-sign potential restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin. Smith views $50MM over three years as a reasonable deal for Mathurin.
Spurs’ Fox, Harper Listed As Questionable For Game 3
May 22: Harper will be a game-time decision on Friday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who says the rookie guard is expected to go through his pregame routine before the Spurs determine whether or not he’ll be available.
May 21: The Spurs are hoping to enter a pivotal Game 3 with a healthy roster, but it’s unclear what their backcourt rotation will look like as starting point guard De’Aaron Fox is listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain while rookie Dylan Harper, who has been starting in Fox’s place, is listed as questionable with right adductor soreness, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
After averaging 17.7 points and 5.0 assists in the Spurs’ six-game series win over the Timberwolves, Fox has missed the first two games of the series due to a right high ankle sprain. He was listed as questionable coming into Game 2, but ruled out prior to tip-off.
Harper has averaged 14.4 points and 1.5 steals in 26.8 minutes per game throughout his rookie season playoff run, and those numbers rose to 18.0 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 3.5 SPG in the two games he started for Fox against the Thunder. However, Harper exited Game 2 early with a leg injury after coming down awkwardly in the third quarter and was scheduled for an MRI on Thursday.
Short on guards, the Spurs turned to 30-year-old backup Jordan McLaughlin, who had played just 24 minutes in the playoffs prior to Game 2. He logged seven minutes, scoring six points on a pair of threes. If neither Fox nor Harper are able to go in Game 3, McLaughlin might be tasked with more backup guard minutes.
“We have to continue to trust our depth and guys have to step up and when their names call and answer the bell,” head coach Mitch Johnson said, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Thunder star wing Jalen Williams is also listed as questionable and is considered day-to-day due to a left hamstring injury moving forward.
Game 3 will tip off at 7:30 Central on Friday.
Latest On Trail Blazers’ Head Coaching Search
Jerry Stackhouse will be interviewing with the Trail Blazers for their head coaching vacancy this weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
An NBA player for 18 seasons from 1995-2013, Stackhouse transitioned into coaching following his retirement. He has been an assistant for the Raptors (2015-16), Grizzlies (2018-19), and Warriors (2024-26) and also had head coaching stints with the Raptors 905 in the G League (2016-18) and Vanderbilt University (2019-24).
Reporting last week indicated that Stackhouse’s contract with Golden State had expired and that he wouldn’t be returning to the team, as he was “actively” seeking a head coaching position. He has also been connected to the coaching vacancy in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link) hears from league sources that the Blazers have been impressed by Jazz assistant Mike Williams, who is among the candidates the team is still considering.
Formerly a Wizards player development coach, Williams became the head coach of the Capital City Go-Go in the G League at age 25 and served in that role from 2021-23 before being hired by the Jazz in 2023 as an assistant under Will Hardy.
Finally, Fischer also reports within the latest Substack article for the Stein Line that Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook has advanced to the next stage of Portland’s coaching search as well.
Lashbrook worked for the Sixers from 2014-23, serving in player development roles during his last few years in Philadelphia. He has been on the Celtics’ staff for the past three years and was the head coach of the team’s G League affiliate in Maine during the 2024/25 season.
There has been a flurry of updates on Portland’s head coaching search in the past 24 hours, with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, and Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter all identified on Thursday as finalists for the job.
Today’s reports adding several new names to the mix suggest that “finalists” may be a loose term — the team reportedly wanted to look at upwards of 30 candidates during the initial stages of its search, so while the field may have narrowed since then, it sounds like there are still several candidates receiving consideration.
According to Fischer and Marc Stein, the Blazers’ search has been difficult for insiders to keep track of, since some candidates have spoken to general manager Joe Cronin, some have spoken directly to team owner Tom Dundon, and have some have talked to both.
Here are some additional notes from Stein on the Blazers’ search:
- Van Gundy’s salary as a Clippers assistant is believed to be in the neighborhood of $3MM per year, so there’s “great curiosity” about what sort of salary Dundon would be willing to offer him, Stein writes, amid rumors that the new Blazers owner doesn’t want to spend big on his new head coach.
- Celtics assistant D.J. MacLeay, Heat consultant Noah Laroche, and Brisbane Bullets coach and president Will Weaver (a former NBA assistant) are among the other names that have been connected to the Blazers’ head coaching vacancy in recent days, according to Stein.
- One league source tells Stein that Dundon is seeking a candidate who will “coach players hard.”
We’re tracking all of this offseason’s NBA head coaching searches right here.
Lakers, Warriors Long Shots In Giannis Sweepstakes?
The Lakers and Warriors are expected to be among the teams talking to the Bucks about a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the coming weeks, but neither Pacific team looks like the frontrunner to land the two-time MVP, according to reports from ESPN.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show this week (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania suggested that the Lakers aren’t expected to involve Austin Reaves (via potential sign-and-trade) in their offer for Antetokounmpo. Beyond Reaves, the team isn’t exactly loaded with attractive young talent, and the Stepien rule prevents Los Angeles from offering more than three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033).
“The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis at the deadline,” Charania said. “Right now, what they’ll be able to offer is three first-round picks and cap space (to) essentially absorb Giannis’ contract.
“Now, if you’re the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space (and) three first-round picks? My sense is they’re going to get better in the marketplace than that. I think there’s a bigger appetite than that. And so, time will tell. We’ll know in the next six weeks.”
The Warriors pursued Antetokounmpo more seriously than the Lakers did at February’s deadline, but the Bucks turned them down at the time and Golden State isn’t really in position to significantly improve its offer this spring.
The Warriors could put together a package that includes up to four first-round picks (likely 2026, 2028, 2030 between 1-20, and either 2032 or 2033), plus guard Brandin Podziemski. Some combination of Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, and/or Draymond Green could also factor into Golden State’s offer, but Moody and Butler are recovering from major injuries and won’t be healthy to open the 2026/27 season, while Green has a decision to make on a player option.
“This is just my read on it,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater said during a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter video link; hat tip to RealGM). “I think (the Warriors are) not first in line, not second or third in line, really, at this point as far as packages that appeal most to Milwaukee. We know by deadline time Miami’s (offer) was the one that the Bucks seemed to be contemplating.”
Although Slater believes the Warriors will “cautiously enter the waters” when it comes to big-game hunting for star-level veterans like Antetokounmpo this summer, he said he wouldn’t be surprised if they simply use the 11th overall pick to select a player in next month’s draft, pointing out that the team could probably find a prospect at that spot who could immediately contribute and still has long-term upside (Twitter video link).
Slater added that he also expects the Warriors to prioritize “mid-prime” players as they seek roster upgrades this offseason, observing that they lost one player who fit that bill when they sent Andrew Wiggins to Miami at the 2025 deadline.
“You don’t want to be loaded with 19-year-olds and 37-year-olds,” he said.