As far as backup plans go, this would be winning the lottery.
If Kevin Durant leaves Golden State this summer for a free-agent destination, the Warriors could make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo when he becomes a free agent himself in 2021.
Of course, they would hardly be the lone suitor for the Greek Freak, but the Warriors already seem to be mapping out a plan for a scenario in which they are unable to keep Durant.
“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,” New York Times reporter Marc Stein wrote in his weekly newsletter. “Trying to sign the most attractive free agent available is on the first page of the Golden State owner Joe Lacob’s playbook.”
It’s not a groundbreaking strategy by any means, but just another way the Warriors could remain dominant even if they lose Durant.
For now, Antetokounmpo’s best chance of being on the same court as the Warriors is getting his first-place Bucks to the NBA Finals by June.