The Minnesota Timberwolves are in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
Sometimes, in the drama and rumor-filled NBA, it is helpful to take a step back and simplify the situation. Read it again.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
As the Milwaukee Bucks give serious thought to parting with the two-time MVP, the Timberwolves have cemented themselves as one of the teams firmly in the mix. The Wolves front office, according to multiple team sources, has spent weeks looking at possible scenarios should this moment arrive.
Pairing Antetokounmpo with four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards in the Western Conference is a tantalizing prospect, though it remains to be seen just how close the Bucks are to actually trading the face of their franchise.
Before the aggregators get too excited, this is not unique to Minnesota. Every team in the league has been salivating at the thought of Antetokounmpo, widely considered one of the three or four best players in the league, becoming available. Every team has explored their options and tried to see if there is a deal that makes sense for them.
But the Timberwolves are one of four teams The Athletic has reported as frontrunners for Antetokounmpo as the Thursday trade deadline approaches, for a few reasons.
• Antetokounmpo would likely only leave Milwaukee to go to a team that has a chance at winning the championship. The Timberwolves have been to the Western Conference finals in each of the last two seasons.
• Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly has been one of the most aggressive front-office leaders in the league since he came to Minnesota. He has swung blockbuster trades for Rudy Gobert in 2022 and the combination of Julius Randle plus Donte DiVincenzo in 2024. Connelly made another crucial in-season trade to get Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 2023. He actively pursued a trade for Kevin Durant at the deadline last season. Making a big swing for Antetokounmpo falls in line with that ethos.
• Antetokounmpo is known to have an affinity for Edwards’ game. It is safe to say that the respect is mutual.
Conversations with front-office members across the league reveal a healthy skepticism that the Bucks actually want to trade Antetokounmpo before the deadline. This very well could be an effort to understand the market for him, then use it as a foundation for more talks this summer leading into the draft. But the Wolves are treating these talks as if there is an opportunity to get him right now.
A deal of this magnitude has a lot of factors involved.
Timing the deal
If the Bucks hold onto Antetokounmpo through the deadline and wait until after this season, it could open up more options for them. Some teams who have been reluctant to jump into the bidding war could change their minds if they disappoint in the playoffs. Others may be able to legally trade more draft picks once the new league year begins.
That applies to the Timberwolves as well. One thing that hamstrings them in negotiations is a lack of first-round picks to offer the Bucks, who would presumably be entering a massive rebuild if they trade away their superstar. As it stands, thanks largely to the Gobert trade, the Wolves can only send a 2028 first-round swap to Milwaukee in a deal, which likely holds little value considering a team with Edwards and Antetokounmpo should be much better than whatever the Bucks put out there two years from now. If the deal waited until draft night, Minnesota could make its 2026 first-round pick on behalf of the Bucks, thus sending them another young player.
If Milwaukee is prioritizing future draft picks in an Antetokounmpo trade, the Wolves will not be able to compete with the likes of Golden State, which has four first-rounders available to trade.
The Jaden McDaniels factor
This will hurt … for the Timberwolves and their fans. The biggest reason the Wolves can say that they have even a small chance at acquiring a legend like Antetokounmpo is because, as Edwards likes to say, “We got Jaden McDaniels.”
ESPN reported Monday that the Bucks are looking for draft picks and/or a blue-chip young player. McDaniels certainly qualifies. He’s a 25-year-old who is under team control for three more seasons after this one at a reasonable $85 million total. He has made a significant leap in his sixth season in the league, becoming much more than the 3-and-D wing he was forecast to be out of college.
McDaniels is averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game while shooting 44.5 percent from 3. He has also improved as a shot creator, showing the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket, where he elevates his 6-foot-10 frame to shoot over almost anyone who tries to defend him. He has done all this while maintaining his reputation as one of the league’s most versatile perimeter defenders.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has spoken often this season about needing to get McDaniels even more shots. That has not been easy on a team with Edwards and Randle as the top two options. But it is easy to envision McDaniels’ scoring increasing significantly if he were to be a No. 1 or No. 2 option on another team.
If the Bucks decide they most value a single young piece to start building around in any Antetokounmpo deal, McDaniels may be their best option. It’s hard to see how names like Miami’s Tyler Herro or Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga, who could highlight packages from other teams, measure up to McDaniels. Even if the New York Knicks were to put Karl-Anthony Towns in a potential trade, McDaniels may still have the edge because his age and contract status makes him the kind of player who could be in Milwaukee for years to come.
It would be hard to see McDaniels leave Minnesota. He is one of the best player development stories in franchise history, one of the most diligent workers on the team and an immensely popular player with the fan base. The Wolves just gave out McDaniels hats at a game last week. His teammates and coaches love him as well.
Getting in the game for a fish as big as Antetokounmpo requires big bait. It doesn’t look like the San Antonio Spurs are tossing out Dylan Harper, and the Houston Rockets aren’t offering up Alperen Şengün. It’s hard to see who else can bring a single player to the table more attractive than McDaniels.
What else?
As promising as McDaniels is, it obviously would take a lot more than him to get Antetokounmpo. Randle would be another candidate to move on, given that he plays the same position as Antetokounmpo.
Finch called Randle the team’s most important player prior to a game on Monday night against Memphis. Edwards is clearly the team’s MVP, but Randle’s ability to make plays for others and assume the role of point forward in lieu of a traditional point guard has been crucial to the team’s success. He is averaging 22.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists, and had his name mentioned in All-Star conversations prior to a five-game losing skid in January that dropped the Wolves down the West standings.
Randle may not appeal to a rebuilding Bucks team but maybe Connelly could send him elsewhere for a first-round pick to redirect to Milwaukee.
Naz Reid is another incredibly popular player and the longest-tenured Timberwolf. Finch said Reid is playing the best basketball of his seven-year career, making Reid a frontrunner for a second Sixth Man of the Year award. He is averaging 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds off the bench, and is young enough to appeal to Milwaukee or get another first-round pick if he goes elsewhere.
Rudy Gobert has put together an outstanding defensive season and has shown modest improvement on offense as well. He will turn 34 in June, making him a less attractive component of any multi-team deal. But if a playoff-bound team is looking for a rim protector and wants to add some pick compensation to the mix, Gobert could draw some interest.
As far as young players, Rob Dillingham has been out of the rotation for most of the season and is definitely available. While his value is likely minimal, the Bucks could offer a real run for the former No. 8 pick and a chance to see if a change of scenery does him any good. Terrence Shannon Jr. has been hurt for much of the season but has shown promise as a rugged scorer off the bench.
I left Donte DiVincenzo and Joan Beringer off this list because I don’t believe the Wolves want to part with either player. I don’t believe they want to part with Reid or McDaniels, either, but let’s be honest: It’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, man. Something has to give.
Some combination of all of the above would highlight a player-centric package for the Wolves. Adding other teams to the mix only complicates the deal-making process.
From my point of view, mixing and matching the players mentioned makes sense. But if it got to a point where they had to include McDaniels, Randle and Reid? You might have to do it for a real chance to get a player of Antetokounmpo’s impact. It would just make me nervous.
Concerns in a deal
There are questions to ask. It’s not a no-brainer.
Antetokounmpo is 31 years old and has been through his fair share of injuries in recent seasons. He is currently dealing with a calf injury that could keep him out for several more weeks. If the Wolves liquidate their depth, could they hold position in the top six of the standings while waiting for him to get healthy?
Would Antetokounmpo be open to coming to Minnesota to chase a championship if the Wolves have to give up a significant portion of their depth to get him?
Finally, Antetokounmpo will require a new max contract to pair with Edwards’ max deal. Could the Wolves build a team around the two of them with that kind of top-heavy salary structure? Two big salaries isn’t a deal-breaker. It just brings a different kind of challenge than the current roster setup.
Other work to be done
I believe that the Wolves, like most of the rest of the league, are waiting for full clarity on Antetokounmpo before they pivot to other business. They really need some backcourt help off the bench, but I don’t think they want to jeopardize using any players or pieces in a deal for a seventh man before they exhaust all possibilities of adding a superstar like Antetokounmpo.
Sacramento has already traded Keon Ellis, a player that would have been a nice fit in Minnesota. There are other options out there. Chicago’s Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu are interesting candidates. Memphis guard Ty Jerome, who made his season debut Saturday against Minnesota, would be another great fit. I’m sure there are more names Minnesota is considering.
It will be interesting to see how long the Wolves are willing to wait. They have a team that could be one player away from being a real factor in the West as is. How long will they hold out hope that one player is Antetokounmpo before they pivot elsewhere?
