If you asked most people where they thought the Milwaukee Bucks would trade Giannis Antetokounmpo after ESPN's report came out last week, chances are most of them wouldn't have said the Timberwolves. However, after Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported the superstar is interested in teaming up with Anthony Edwards, it became more of a possibility. The odds of a trade have seemingly increased, as Brian Windhorst said on Monday that Minnesota is being "aggressive" in its pursuit of the 31-year-old.
You're probably wondering if a trade to the Timberwolves will really happen between now and Thursday's deadline, considering they can offer only one first-round pick swap. Well, Windy also said that Minnesota is "out there recruiting third and fourth teams to try to improve their offer."
By no means have the Timberwolves vaulted to the very top of the Giannis sweepstakes, as they have several hurdles to clear, but you can't rule them out. Tim Connelly has been aggressive since he joined Minnesota's front office a few years ago, trading for Rudy Gobert almost immediately, trading Karl-Anthony Towns, and considering trading for Kevin Durant. They'll find a way to get in the mix.
The Timberwolves would probably have joined the Giannis trade discussions regardless, but knowing that he is open to playing there does change things.
Timberwolves are being aggressive in their pursuit for Giannis
Antetokounmpo has some leverage over where he will end up. He has a $62.8 million player option that he could decline in 2027 to become an unrestricted free agent. Teams won't want to meet Milwaukee's asking price without some reassurance that Giannis wants to be there, and Minnesota already has that.
Joining forces with Edwards, who is 24, would, in theory, extend the timeline for Giannis to win a second championship, versus joining a team like the Warriors. That is probably why he's also interested in playing with Tyrese Maxey, who is 25, but the Sixers can't truly join the bidding war unless they make VJ Edgecombe available. They reportedly don't want to do that.
If the Bucks don't trade Antetokounmpo over the next few days, the Timberwolves, like several other teams, will gain access to additional first-round picks in the summer. Depending on how Minnesota's season ends, Connelly could be even more motivated to get a deal done. Giannis will have more leverage during the offseason, too.
It's easy to overlook the Timberwolves in all of this, given what other teams can offer, but don't write them off. They're trying to do what they can now to get a deal done and may find a way to do so, if not before the deadline, then over the summer.