The Milwaukee Bucks continue to wait out Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury before finding out if he will demand a trade or not ahead of the traded deadline in two months. Antetokounmpo has expressed a desire to contend for an NBA Championship, and this season’s start all but confirms that Milwaukee will not reach that level any time soon.
NBA insider Chris Haynes confirmed a couple of new teams are in the mix among teams interested in trading for Giannis:
“I think the Knicks have interest in Giannis. I think the Miami Heat have interest in Giannis. The Golden State Warriors have had interest in Giannis for a long time, the San Antonio Spurs, the Minnesota Timberwolves.”
Five teams with high hopes of contending for an NBA Championship all have interest in the two-time MVP, according to the respected reporter. The New York Knicks and Miami Heat have been confirmed to have interest multiple times. Haynes confirmed less obvious rumors about the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs wanting him, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are a team barely mentioned until his report.
Minnesota Timberwolves Want Giannis Antetokounmpo
Minnesota is the latest team to enter the fray and would field a package to try to tempt Antetokounmpo into joining the roster. Anthony Edwards would give Giannis arguably the best teammate he’s ever had and potentially the best realistic player that he can form a dream team with today.
Milwaukee would have to strongly believe in Jaden McDaniels or Julius Randle as a top asset, along with a couple of younger players yet to validate their success in the NBA. Draft picks are necessary, and the Timberwolves would have to give up a boatload of picks to stand a chance.
Antetokounmpo approving the trade and giving Minnesota confidence that he wants to stay there long-term is another big variable. The Timberwolves have made the last two Western Conference Finals before falling short to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. Giannis must believe they are close enough to a ring as his motivation for joining the Timberwolves if he endorses the deal.
Location Could Make Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Decision
Haynes mentioned that Antetokounmpo has some preferences when it comes to his next team that could hurt a couple of interested parties. Giannis spending his entire career in a smaller Milwaukee market leads to various reports about him wanting to join a bigger market, like New York or Miami as his next stop.
“I think he’d like to have some sun,” Haynes said. “He’d like to be in a big market. Outside of that, he just wants to be on a team where he can compete for a championship. He’s been very adamant about that being a main priority.”
Time will tell if Antetokounmpo gives a chance to the Spurs and Timberwolves, or if he only wants to zone in on the larger markets. The chance to team with big names like Jalen Brunson or Stephen Curry could add to the big market teams. However, the most important thing now is realizing five teams have confirmed interest and offers ready for Giannis.
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