With every passing hour as the trade deadline approaches, almost the entire league is focused on the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the race for the blockbuster trade to trigger the biggest domino in the NBA right now intensifies, the Timberwolves have suddenly emerged as potential frontrunners to land the Greek superstar.
And the reason is simple: the optics and the storyline for the rest of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career. NBA insider Jake Fischer pondered how inclined Antetokounmpo might be to join the Timberwolves and came up with a solid explanation for Bleacher Report’s ‘Insider Notebook.’
“Where Giannis does want to go to our understanding, he is very much focused on the story and the arc of his professional career. That has been very apparent as we’ve all known at this point that Giannis and his preference on not requesting a trade.”
“He has not wanted to have that terminology out there. He has not wanted to be positioned as someone who turned his back on this Bucks franchise and wanted to escape Milwaukee,” said Fischer as he explained why the storyline narrative seems very important to Antetokounmpo.
“That’s been just as important to him, to my understanding from talking to people around the situation, talking to people who are around Giannis Antetokounmpo and have some type of understanding of his thinking that he’s cared about the narrative structure and the characterization of his next situation just as much as this exit from Milwaukee.”
“That’s why going to New York in the fall first caught his eye because every game at the Garden is a big moment because the Knicks fan base turns that whole strip outside 7th Avenue into an absolute party following playoff games. The thought that he could be the final piece and the guy to finally end New York’s long championship drought, just like he did in Milwaukee. All that has been appealing to Giannis.”
“Joining a young superstar in Anthony Edwards in Minnesota and helping the Wolves finally get past the Western Conference Finals after two straight trips there these last couple of years and a long window.”
“Anthony Edwards hasn’t even entered his prime yet. So, a long window working with him, bringing something, creating history in Minnesota that they have not achieved, would certainly be a major storyline.”
“In contrast, as we reported yesterday on the Stein line, my joint Substack effort with the Hall of Famer Marc Stein, we have definitively received word as well that there is some type of reservation from Giannis about the idea of going to Golden State,” Fischer further added explaining why the Warriors, who were once considered favorites are now lagging in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
“Kind of following in these similar footsteps of Kevin Durant, who has never shaken the allegations of ring chasing and riding Steph Curry’s coattails. That, coupled with the fact that Golden State will have to dump a lot of valuable stuff to go get him, and that Steph Curry is 36 years old.”
“You’re not going to have a five-year, six-year window competing for championships alongside Steph and Golden State like you theoretically would next to Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, next to Jalen Brunson in New York, next to Bam Adebayo in Miami,” concluded Fischer by giving a reality check to the Warriors.
While the Knicks have reportedly bowed out of the race for Antetokounmpo as they like their current roster more, this leaves the Heat and the Timberwolves at the front of this race. Teams are expected to be engaged in intense negotiations over the next 48 hours.
Some sources have claimed that Antetokounmpo views the Heat as a long-term landing destination. They were only initially considered favorites due to the complexities that the Timberwolves would’ve had to go through to make a compelling offer, since they did not have the necessary assets alone to swing a trade.
However, the storyline point from Fischer makes a lot of sense because the Knicks came so close to success last season (first Eastern Conference Final in 50 years) that Antetokounmpo wanting to join and help them go all the way seemed suitable to his legacy.
And after the NBA Finals run with Jimmy Butler in 2022-23, the Heat have had consecutive first-round exits from the Playoffs, while the Timberwolves have been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals led by Anthony Edwards in the last two years.
Even though Antetokounmpo is reportedly interested in playing with Bam Adebayo, the Timberwolves are nearer to building a championship-contending team than the Heat will be if the Greek Freak joins them.
Moreover, they reportedly created more cap space to land Giannis Antetokounmpo via a three-team trade that got rid of Mike Conley from their salary cap. They seem to be seriously going all-in to potentially land the Bucks’ superstar and may have a realistic chance to do so.
In conclusion, the sweepstakes for Giannis Antetokounmpo have boiled down to two teams. The power to make the decision right now stands with the Bucks’ front office.
If they hold off on letting Antetokounmpo go until the summer, they could potentially get more from teams in terms of draft assets. However, all the leverage will then shift to the Greek superstar, who will be on an expiring contract, potentially threatening to leave as a free agent if they don’t send him to a team of his choice.
Thus, we might realistically not see any movement on Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline. But if we do, the Timberwolves and the Heat are expected to be involved in some way.
