Wolves Among 4 'Strong Suitors' For Giannis Antetokounmpo

It sounds like Minnesota is firmly in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.

Jan 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) walks from the court following the game against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee has been up in the air for quite some time, and ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that he is "ready for a new home."

Minnesota has been rumored as a potential candidate to make a deal for Antetokounmpo, and Wolves insider Jon Krawczynski said that he expects the team to "get in on" a deal if the opportunity presents itself. Charania backed up all that reporting on Wednesday, confirmed that Minnesota is a legitimate candidate to pursue a deal.

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"What's changed here is the Bucks's approach and process. They're getting tons of aggressive offers right now in Milwaukee, and they're listening to those offers. Those offers have consisted of All-Star caliber players, multiple draft picks... this has been the culmination of nine months," Charania reported on Inside the NBA's tip-off show on Wednesday.

Reporting for the Inside the NBA tip-off show on Giannis' future: pic.twitter.com/KLxhIWM63E

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 29, 2026

"There's teams in both conferences. I would look at Minnesota, Golden State, in the West — New York and Miami. Those are four of the strong suitors for Giannis right now on the market."

This year's NBA trade deadline is right around the corner on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. CT. Antetokounmpo's contract, worth nearly $60 million annually, will make any deal difficult to pull off with roughly one week's notice, but we saw the Lakers acquire Luka Doncic at last year's deadline, so nothing is impossible.

The question then becomes, what would a potential trade look like from Minnesota's perspective? Charania mentioned "All-Star caliber" players in his reporting, which is something the Wolves have a greater likelihood of offering than multiple draft picks. Would it take Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels and some young talent like Rob Dillingham? Antetokounmpo is still just 31 years old and averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season, so it's not going to come cheap.

Other teams like Golden State, New York and Miami also all have the potential to make intriguing offers. Antetokounmpo's close relationship with the Bucks will likely mean that he has a large say in his destination. Playing alongside Anthony Edwards would seemingly improve the Wolves' chances of contending for an NBA Championship as soon as this season, and it would give Antetokounmpo a young star to play alongside for the second half of his career.

There are certainly a lot of hoops that both sides would need to jump through in order to pull off a deal, but Minnesota is firmly in the mix to acquire one of the best basketball players in the world.