There is no league quite like the NBA when it comes to getting out ahead — way, way out ahead — of a story.

Marc Stein of The New York Times returned from the All-Star Weekend festivities with just that kind of nugget.

The bullet point: Giannis Antetokounmpo could be a distant free-agent target for the Warriors, if a series of hypotheticals play out.

The salient facts, per Stein:

*Antetokounmpo loves Milwaukee, his current home

*He doesn’t become a free agent until July of 2021

*Stephen Curry is his friend

*They are both repped by the same agency (Octagon)

*Steph and Giannis both picked each other in the All-Star drafts -- pic.twitter.com/xJreHTtTyp — 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) — 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 18, 2019 And now, how they become real-life teammates in Golden State:

“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.”