Ranking the reported Giannis Antetokounmpo trade suitors

Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to find a new team for the first time since being drafted in 2013 per ESPN’s Shams Charania, and the Milwaukee Bucks are finally listening to offers for the superstar who brought Milwaukee its first title in 50 years.

So far, Charania has reported that four teams are in the mix for Giannis: the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. As it stands currently, none of the four may have enough assets needed to convince the Bucks to send Giannis away – they haven’t been able to make the deal yet at least – but some smart maneuvering could position these teams to land the Greek Freak.

Reporting for the Inside the NBA tip-off show on Giannis' future: pic.twitter.com/KLxhIWM63E
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 29, 2026

Let’s go through them in order from farthest to closest to making a deal that could land Giannis, starting with the team he reportedly wanted to join this past summer. Since the Bucks aren’t close to contending with Giannis right now, we’ll prioritize the future assets each team can send the Bucks in a deal. Quality draft picks and young players are thus weighted much higher than skilled veterans.

4 - New York Knicks

While Giannis may have heart eyes for the New York team capable of winning in the near future, the Knicks have seemingly boxed themselves out of this sweepstakes. Their trade for and recent extension of Mikal Bridges leaves New York with no real first round picks to trade. (The Knicks have a Wizards pick, but it’s top 8 protected and converts to second rounders when it doesn’t convey this season

New York is also devoid of young talent on the roster. The Knicks best current youngster is probably Tyler Kolek, a player who projects as a depth guard more than a future star. Assuming that Jalen Brunson is off the table in any deal, that leaves some combination of Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns available to trade.

While those three players are doubtlessly valuable veterans, they aren’t the kind of pieces Milwaukee should prioritize. The Knicks could potentially involve a third team to send picks and prospects to Milwaukee in exchange for their vets – but at that point, why wouldn’t said third team just use those pieces to get Giannis themselves?

3 - Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota is in a similar spot to the Knicks with a roster full of productive veterans plus an off-limits star guard in Anthony Edwards, but with one key difference. The Wolves do have some at least intriguing young players, including Joan Beringer, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Rob Dillingham.

Could Minnesota include those youngsters and cobble together some draft assets in a multi-team trade with some of Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels going to Milwaukee and elsewhere to entice the Bucks? Maybe, but it’d take a team paying a rich price in picks for one or two of those Timberwolves, as Minnesota also can’t send any first round picks as is. McDaniels does loom as an attractive young wing for the Bucks to build around, as they’re desperately short at that position.

While both of these teams suffer from a lack of first round picks, it is worth noting that the Knicks and Timberwolves do have multiple future second round draft picks they could include as well. Those picks generally don’t move the needle in a trade for a player like Giannis, but the next two teams don’t really have any future second rounders to include.

2 - Golden State Warriors

Now we’re talking, at least about draft capital. Golden State can send four future firsts, with the caveat that their 2030 pick would only go to Milwaukee if it lands 1-20. They sent a top 20 protected first to the Timberwolves, so Minnesota has the rights to that pick if it falls between 21-30.

Still, that’s basically four first rounders given the Bucks get the valuable end of the pick, plus Golden State could offer to swap in 2031 as well. Unfortunately, the Warriors appeal mostly ends after the picks. Despite all the headlines dedicated to his trade request saga, Jonathan Kuminga clearly is not valued around the NBA given Golden State’s failure to get rid of him over three consecutive transaction cycles now.

Kuminga is a flier, not a cornerstone piece. The other young players in Golden State are less enticing: Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are a higher tier of prospect than the Knicks players, but not by a lot.

1 - Miami Heat

The Heat offer for Giannis as it stands in a two-team deal may not be quite enough, but it does contain more of what Milwaukee should seek in a deal than the other three teams. That’s because Miami has a mixture of real prospects and some draft capital, which is the combo of assets the Bucks need.

The prospects are the real prize in the Heat offer. Miami can send sophomore stretch five Kel’el Ware, promising rookie Kasparas Jakučionis, the resurgent Jaime Jaquez Jr., plus include Tyler Herro as the bulk of the outgoing salary.

I’ve glossed over some of the other salary blocks, as they range from older veterans to negative value deals, but Herro is worth mentioning as more than accounting math. The freshly-turned 26-year-old is a reigning All-Star who has suffered from injuries causing him to miss time, but does provide a clear skillset with his scoring and pick-and-roll prowess. Herro’s defense isn’t very heroic, but he could form a nice duo with Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins in the Bucks new backcourt.

The pick outlook isn’t quite as rosy. Miami sending their 2027 first in that cursed Terry Rozier deal prevents the Heat from sending a first round pick until 2029, and limits them to offering two firsts (2029 and 2031) plus swaps in 2028, 2030, and 2032.

Bam Adebayo (13) looks to pass the ball as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends. — Apr 5, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks to pass the ball as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Call it in?

So it’s done and Giannis is heading to Miami? Not quite yet. None of these four suitors has an overwhelming trade package for the Greek Freak, which could mean the Bucks hold onto him through the trade deadline to revisit dealing Antetokounmpo until the summer. Unless…

These four teams have been named because they’re already aggressively pursuing Giannis. All four of them are competitive, desirable teams for various reasons and they all feature creative front offices who have pulled off improbable deals before.

One of these four teams finding a multi-team deal where some of their veteran players who may not be valued by Milwaukee can be flipped into more draft assets and/or prospects is likely what it’d take for the Bucks to make a deal.

It’s also possible that the Bucks have interest in involving a team to cash in some draft picks early. Would, say, Oklahoma City, with three first round picks in the 2026 AND 2027 NBA Drafts and not enough roster spots to use them, send a few upcoming picks for a Warriors pick in 2028 or a Heat pick in 2029? Since Milwaukee does not control their first round pick between 2027 and 2029, adding young talent sooner would certainly be appealing.

Finally, there’s always a chance that a mystery suitor jumps into the mix. Much as Milwaukee itself leapt into the Damian Lillard sweepstakes or Toronto jumped in line to snag Kawhi Leonard and a championship, there are other teams lurking who could offer more picks and young players if they decide adding Giannis is worth selling the farm.

With how creative NBA front offices have gotten and how great Giannis Antetokounmpo is, it feels likely that he’ll have a new team by the trade deadline. No source from the Bucks camp has denied they are at least fielding offers, which could be read to mean Milwaukee is looking to drum up more in the coming days. Buckle up, folks – it’s going to be a wild week.