Why Giannis Antetokounmpo may not want to team up with Stephen Curry

The Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline continues to zoom in, and all eyes are set on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Milwaukee Bucks star is the biggest name to keep tabs on, with multiple teams reportedly trying to get him. Most reports stated that the Golden State Warriors were in the driver's seat to trade for him, given their appealing trade package.

Nevertheless, as big a Stephen Curry fan Antetokounmpo admittedly is, he may not want to team up with him. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Antetokounmpo would prefer to be traded to another team. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't want to live in Stephen Curry's shadow

"League sources say that Golden State is aware of recent rumblings that Antetokounmpo can't be assumed to be as eager as he was once perceived to be to relocate to Stephen Curry's town and team," Fischer wrote. 

Per the insider, Antetokounmpo doesn't want to suffer the same backlash Kevin Durant got when he joined the record-breaking Warriors back in 2016.

"Presumably only Giannis knows for sure. Yet I have heard from sources briefed on the situation that some in the know suspect Antetokounmpo could be turned off by the idea of joining an older team and/or facing the sort of criticism that Kevin Durant continues to absorb to this day about teaming up with Curry," Fischer added.

While that's fair to a degree, it doesn't necessarily align with Antetokounmpo's alleged reasons to pursue a trade. He's been vocal about his desire to win another championship, and teaming up with the greatest shooter of all time will most definitely move him closer to that goal. 

Also, Durant joined a Warriors team fresh off eliminating him in the playoffs and winning a league-best 73 regular-season games. If traded to the Bay Area, Antetokounmpo would be joining a struggling Warriors team holding onto the last thread of past glories. Having two future Hall of Famers team up to bring a franchise back from the ground isn't the same as prime Durant joining the biggest juggernaut of the 21st century.