The Milwaukee Bucks trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo has never seemed more realistic. While Giannis has not yet requested a trade, tensions are high as the Bucks rise in the standings (currently out of the Play-In Tournament in a weak Eastern Conference) and the two-time MVP has been non-committal about his future. Giannis’ recent calf injury complicates things, but it’s clear that his future with the team is hazy at best.
If the Bucks opt to move on from Giannis before the deadline (or offseason), numerous teams would try to make a move on him. One of these teams could be the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have previously expressed interest in him. However, given the Wolves’ lack of draft capital and high payroll costs, trading for Giannis was always going to be a clear challenge for Tim Connelly and company.
Recently, ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote an article discussing each team’s chances of trading for Giannis. In this article, he explained why the Wolves closing a deal for Giannis will be next to impossible. He rated it an 8/10 on the difficulty of his deal.
“Minnesota has no first-round picks and is in a financial tightrope. Landing Antetokounmpo could require some deadline maneuvering by President Tim Connelly,” Marks wrote. “While the Wolves have players who could accelerate a rebuild in Milwaukee with Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels, they don’t have any first-round picks to send in a deal. One option for the front office could be to redirect players to a third team for a future first-round pick going to Milwaukee. To make any trade construction more difficult, the Timberwolves are not allowed to take back more salary than they receive in a trade.”
Trading for Giannis is a dream for the Timberwolves
Marks is spot-on with his assessment: Unless the Wolves can bring in a third team, trading for Giannis will be essentially impossible given their high payroll costs and lack of choices. At 31 years old, with free agency in 2027 and a long injury history, Giannis’ trade value won’t be at an all-time high. Still, it’s hard to imagine the Bucks settling for an offer that doesn’t net them at least one first-round pick.
The Timberwolves can only offer a pick swap in 2028, which has limited value as Minnesota will likely be better than Milwaukee in two years. Plus, you’d think the Bucks would like some young talent back, and the Wolves’ young players are completely unproven. Sure, getting back some win-now talent like Julius Randle and/or Jaden McDaniels would be nice for the Bucks, who don’t own many of their future picks. However, it will take much more to make a trade happen for Giannis.
Finding a third team to make a deal work sounds intriguing, but it’s also incredibly difficult to do so in the second apron era. Unless something unforeseen happens, there is simply no way for the Wolves to pull off a trade for Giannis.
Ultimately, while Connelly has a history of making unexpected moves and the thought of an Anthony Edwards-Giannis duo is tempting, Timberwolves fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about a potential move. Instead, the Wolves should look to increase their depth and guard their play before the trade deadline.
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