With the NBA trade deadline one week away from the Feb. 5 cutoff, the Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as a surprise entrant in the growing sweepstakes for Giannis Antetokounmpo. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst added fuel to the speculation Thursday with a revealing comment about Antetokounmpo’s level of interest in Minnesota.
Windhorst addressed the expanding market for the Milwaukee Bucks star during Thursday’s broadcast of Get Up, first outlining what established suitors such as the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat could offer before turning his attention to the Timberwolves.
“Shams mentioned the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has not mentioned that for no reason, this is something from what I understand Giannis has interest in,” Windhorst said. “The Timberwolves don’t have draft picks and don’t have the young players. They’ve got to center it around veteran players but that is something we should keep an eye on as well.”
The comment marked the first time Antetokounmpo’s personal interest has been directly connected to Minnesota in the current rumor cycle. ESPN’s Shams Charania previously reported that Antetokounmpo is “ready for a new home,” a development that triggered aggressive positioning from multiple contenders as Milwaukee evaluates whether to act now or wait until the offseason.
.@WindhorstESPN has more on Giannis and where he may land ✍️ pic.twitter.com/5ZOvOkUGPL
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 29, 2026
Asset limitations complicate Timberwolves’ Giannis Antetokounmpo bid
Minnesota’s potential pursuit is complicated by limited draft capital, forcing any realistic offer to focus on established rotation players rather than future assets. That reality aligns with a recent report from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, who detailed the Timberwolves’ internal stance on their core contributors.
“While teams across the league have called on Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Donte DiVincenzo, league sources say, the Timberwolves have highly valued those players and are resistant to parting with them,” Scotto reported. “McDaniels has been deemed virtually untouchable unless it was for a star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, league sources told HoopsHype.”
Additional reporting from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer supports Windhorst’s assessment that Minnesota’s involvement is more than speculative. In their latest installment of The Stein Line, the pair reported that while the Timberwolves are rarely mentioned alongside Miami, Golden State and New York, league sources believe they merit inclusion in the discussion.
“The Timberwolves are rarely mentioned as a Giannis contender on par with Miami, Golden State and New York … but multiple sources we've spoken to say they should be,” Stein and Fischer wrote.
Despite Minnesota’s limited draft capital — with little to offer beyond a potential 2028 first-round pick swap — Stein and Fischer reported that Antetokounmpo has quietly had the Timberwolves in his thoughts dating back to the offseason. League sources cited the appeal of pairing with Anthony Edwards as a motivating factor, leading to backchannel discussions in recent months that have given Minnesota legitimate standing as a potential landing spot despite clear obstacles.
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Giannis trade pursuit could force Minnesota to reconsider core pieces
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Fiserv Forum.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Stein and Fischer also detailed how Minnesota’s stance on key players could shift in a true superstar scenario. The Timberwolves previously deemed Jaden McDaniels untouchable when Kevin Durant explored a trade from Phoenix to Minnesota, but league sources believe that position would change in an Antetokounmpo deal.
“The Wolves made Jaden McDaniels untouchable when Kevin Durant had interest in being traded from Phoenix to Minnesota to team up with Edwards, but they would be expected to relent in an Antetokounmpo deal,” Stein and Fischer wrote, “especially given the limitations of Minnesota's current ability to sweeten any offer with draft picks.”
Minnesota’s potential pursuit remains constrained by those limitations. That reality aligns with a recent report from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, who detailed the Timberwolves’ internal resistance to moving core rotation players such as McDaniels, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo unless the return involves a true star.
Antetokounmpo, 31, remains under contract with Milwaukee on a three-year, $175.3 million extension and continues to perform at an elite level despite the team’s struggles. The Bucks sit 12th in the Eastern Conference standings and have dropped three straight games, intensifying speculation about whether the franchise could reset its roster.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has stabilized after early-season inconsistency. The Timberwolves improved to 29-19 following a 118-105 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night and sit sixth in the Western Conference. They return to Target Center on Thursday night to host the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-10) at 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video before opening a three-game road trip Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies (18-27).
As the deadline approaches, Antetokounmpo’s future remains the league’s central storyline. Windhorst’s remarks, reinforced by Stein and Fischer’s reporting, ensure that Minnesota is no longer viewed as a fringe observer but as a team with genuine interest should circumstances align.