The horrific injury plague has taken yet another top NBA star. Jimmy Butler is now done for the season after he tore his ACL in the Warriors 135-112 victory over the Heat a day ago. The 36-year-old joins names like Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and more who have had important seasons cut short due to a lower extremity injury.
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What’s worse is where that leaves Golden State. The Dubs were finally starting to pick up some momentum as they battle it out in the middle of the ultra-competitive West. Without Butler, it puts Steve Kerr into a very uncomfortable position. Either he and Jonathan Kuminga start figuring out how to co-exist, or he and Steph Curry will watch another season slip away on their quest for a fifth ring.
Here’s the good news. The All-Star break is approaching, and thus comes a heavy time for trades. Kendrick Perkins has a suggestion for who could get plugged into the Warriors’ offense alongside The Chef and make an immediate impact. The player? A little unknown by the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“It’s time. It’s the perfect timing,” claimed Big Perk on the Road Trippin pod. “If I’m Steph right now, I’m getting my light-skinned a**, green eyes, and I’m picking up the f***ing phone. And you know who I’m calling? I’m calling Giannis. And saying, ‘Hey man, what are you winning on? Dammit, I need you and you need me. Let’s make it happen right now.'”
As outlandish as Kendrick can be at times with his takes, there might be something to this. It would instantly put the Dubs back on the map as a threat in the West. It would also give them the star power to hang with the elite teams in the West like the Spurs and the Thunder. Perhaps it’s not so bad of a suggestion at all.
“If you’re Giannis, and you talk about winning championships, and we talk about winning championships and we talk about that window closing, it’s perfect timing,” added KP. “And I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. No one is going to be mad at Antetokounmpo if he wants out of Milwaukee. No one should have a damn thing to say about it.”
That’s for sure. Giannis already won the Bucks a ring, something that will cement him in the Hall of Milwaukee greats. But the franchise hasn’t given him any help. And, when they did with Damian Lillard, wouldn’t you know it, Dame Time went down with a torn Achilles, another injury that has cast a black cloud over athletes.
It should also be noted that Giannis has been very vocal about wanting to continue building a contender in Milwaukee. On the flipside, he’s recently come out and said, “I don’t know,” when asked if he’ll end the season as a Buck, claiming he’s taking it “day by day”.
As an example, Kendrick brought up how the Cavaliers bested the Warriors in that grueling 7-game series back in 2016. When it ended, he shared that Draymond Green was the first person to contact Kevin Durant to help the Dubs get some revenge the following season.
“Who got in the car and called Kevin Durant? Draymond. Mother f***er ay, put your pride aside and make that call,” barked Perkins at Curry. The thing there is that KD was a free agent. The Dubs would have to give up a lot for the Greek Freak. Doesn’t mean that it’s not worth it, but the situations, albeit somewhat similar, are also somewhat distant.
Regardless, this feels less about Giannis specifically and more about urgency. The Warriors don’t have the luxury of patience anymore. Steph’s window is shrinking, injuries are piling up, and half-measures won’t cut it. If there’s a real chance to swing big, you at least have to explore it. Standing still might be the riskiest move of all.
