Giannis Trade Talk: Why Minnesota Is One of the Few Realistic Fits

If it's true that Giannis Antetokounmpo will only be traded to a team that knows he'll sign an extension, then the list of realistic suitors is small, but it includes the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Antetokounmpo, 31, appears to be on his way out of Milwaukee after 13 seasons. If he's traded, it's almost certainly going to happen before or during the first round of the NBA Draft, which is set to be held just over a month from now on June 23.

"I had breakfast with an agent, a very high-powered agent the other day, and he was like, 'I'm still betting no trade. I'm betting no trade.' And I was like, 'Really?' And he said, 'Just go through the exercise. Who has enough? Who has enough stuff and would be good enough with Giannis to contend right away?'" Zach Lowe said on his most recent podcast.

Where could he contend for a title? The only suitors who jump off the page are the Knicks, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Lakers. And all of them come with big questions.

The Knicks might make the NBA Finals. They're not breaking up Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns if they reach the NBA Finals. That's just a no-go zone, especially if KAT continues his dominant play in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers.

The Celtics would have to break up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston wants to get better at the rim, but trading a 29-year-old superstar like Brown for Year 14 Giannis would be a major jump from a path that has taken them to the conference finals or NBA Finals five of the last nine years, including a title in 2024.

The Lakers could do a sign-and-trade featuring Austin Reaves and first-round picks in 2026, 2028, and 2030. Would Luka Doncic and Giannis be formidable enough with a shallow supporting cast to get the job done in the extremely difficult Western Conference?

Other teams like Brooklyn, Golden State, the Clippers, Toronto, Chicago, and Portland all have assets, but none of them are on the verge of contending for a championship. Toronto might be if they didn't have to give up Scottie Barnes to get Giannis, but that's probably a conversation ender if he's not involved. The Warriors could offer Milwaukee a bunch of first-round picks and players recovering from serious injuries, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, and perhaps more. But bludgeoning the roster for a pairing of 38-year-old Steph Curry and Antetokounmpo seems like a bad idea.

Cleveland? Maybe a package starting with Evan Mobley moves the needle. Maybe.

Miami? If the Bucks like Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Andrew Wiggins' expiring contract, and multiple first-round picks (2026, 2028, 2030), then it could work. But is Giannis going to contend for a title alongside Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell? Fat chance.

"I think Miami was the closest to maybe getting a final phone call before the trade deadline, before the Bucks pulled the plug," Lowe said. "Is all their stuff enough for Milwaukee? Are they going to settle for that?"

If we reach a point where the Knicks and Celtics are out, then the two teams that make the most sense as championship suitors are the Timberwolves and Lakers. Which team would pony up the most picks and competitive young talent and/or expiring contracts?

The Lakers would need to do a sign-and-trade with Reaves to make the money work. Reaves, 27, is a brilliant offensive player but a complete sieve on defense. Giannis and Luka would be an incredible tandem, but who else would they add? Jake LaRavia? Jarrod Vanderbilt? They don't have much.

Minnesota, if it wants to mortgage its draft future even further, could offer first-round picks in 2026, 2028, and 2030. That's the starting block, but to make the money work, they'd have to send Milwaukee bigger contracts. Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert stick out like a sore thumb. Not as young stars, but as players who would probably want to bolt Milwaukee after 2026-27 instead of picking up their respective player options for 2027-28.

Randle will earn $33.3 million next season, and then he has a $35.8 million player option in 2027-28. Gobert is set to make $36.5 million next season before he's eligible in 2027-28 for a $38 million player option.

Would two or three first-round picks, Randle, Naz Reid, and Terrence Shannon Jr. move the needle more than a Lakers offer centered around Reaves and picks?

That's debatable, but if the Wolves open the door to include Jaden McDaniels, who has blossomed into a two-way stud and is 25 years old compared to Reaves at 27, Minnesota instantly becomes the winner.

Randle, McDaniels, and multiple first-round picks for Giannis? The money works. But it breaks up the Wolves' version of Jordan and Pippen, and it could bite them in the long run. Would it be worth it to give Minnesota a better chance to win a title in the stacked West, which is headlined by likely long-term juggernauts Oklahoma City and San Antonio?

You can argue it until you're blue in the face, but the fact of the matter is that Minnesota really can't take control of the trade narrative unless they include McDaniels. They could still get it done without him, but it might be a lot more difficult.

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