'They Are in the Game for Giannis': Wolves' Trade Buzz Heating Up

The Knicks might be falling out of the Giannis race, while the Wolves are reportedly the "most aggressive" team in the West.

Jan 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) controls the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

With three full days yet to pass before the NBA trade deadline strikes at 2 p.m. CT on Thursday, the Minnesota Timberwolves remain in the mix for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In fact, ESPN's Brian Windhorst says the Timberwolves are the "most aggressive" team in the Western Conference ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

"The most aggressive team in the West right now is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are in the game for Giannis," Windhorst said Monday. "I don't believe that their offers can outweigh the other offers, and I'm not even sure that Giannis is getting traded before Thursday. The Timberwolves are being aggressive. If they don't make what I would call a Hail Mary Giannis deal, I think they are aggressively looking to upgrade their backcourt."

Windhorst also indicated that the New York Knicks aren't aggressively pursuing Giannis.

"That is just not happening. They are not showing that aggression to get Giannis right now, and I think that's because they like this team," Windhorst said of the Knicks.

If true, that could leave the Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors as the most likely teams to trade for Giannis. However, the Warriors' chances of landing The Greek Freak may be diminished slightly without including Jimmy Butler, whose season over after recently suffering a torn ACL.

According Nick Fredell, who covers Golden State for The Athletic, the Warriors have committed to keeping Butler and seeing him through his recovery. Fellow NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have also said they have received "strong indications" that the Warriors won't include Butler in a deal for Giannis.

That means Draymond Green, who has played all 14 of his NBA seasons with the Warriors, would likely need to be included in a trade to make the money work. The Warriors also have a boatload of first-round picks to offer, so if the Bucks want to rebuild in a post-Giannis life, the Warriors might be their best option.

Miami could offer young, talented players like Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware, while the Timberwolves don't have draft capital to part with, but they do have relatively young standouts like Jaden McDaniels (25) and Naz Reid (26), along with second-year players Terrence Shannon, Jr. (25) and Rob Dillingham (20), and 19-year-old rookie Joan Beringer (19).

This is the latest in the Giannis-Wolves rumor mill. For all Timberwolves trade rumors, follow along with our rumor tracker right here.