The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade chase has another Western Conference twist, with Minnesota back in the conversation before Milwaukee 's draft clock runs out.
Miami and Boston still look like the cleanest headline threats.
But the Timberwolves have the one pairing that could make Giannis pause.
Jake Fischer reported that Minnesota circled back to Milwaukee this week to ask what another run at pairing Antetokounmpo with Anthony Edwards would require.
"I'm told that the Timberwolves, for example, indeed circled back to the Bucks this week to see what it would take to make another run at pairing Antetokounmpo with Anthony Edwards … after The Stein Line revealed in late January that a partnership with Edwards had quietly appealed to Giannis for some time. Yet Milwaukee is said to have asked for even more now than the teams discussed in the winter when Minnesota was at the forefront of the Giannis Trade Chase."
That matters because the Bucks have treated the NBA Draft as a natural deadline for clarity. With June 23 approaching, recent chatter has pointed toward Miami and Boston, while Portland 's retreat has narrowed the field.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Minnesota is the most credible Western Conference threat because it can offer players who fit a reset. Spotrac lists Jaden McDaniels at $26.2 million, Naz Reid at $23.3 million, Donte DiVincenzo at $12.5 million, and Terrence Shannon Jr. at $2.8 million for 2026-27. McDaniels is unlikely to be moved, so a conversation around Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle will be required.
That four-player framework clears Giannis' $58.5 million 2026-27 salary before picks enter the discussion. Milwaukee will likely look for first-rounders, but the Timberwolves don't have many to offer.
The basketball appeal is obvious.
Giannis averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 62.4 percent for a Bucks team that fell to 32-50, so the dominance remained even as Milwaukee collapsed.
Next to Edwards, that power changes Minnesota's ceiling. Edwards bends defenses from the perimeter, while Giannis forces help at the rim and gives the Timberwolves a transition weapon who would punish every long rebound.
The concern is spacing if Gobert stays. The cleaner version is Giannis at power forward beside a more flexible center, with Edwards as the late-clock shot-maker and Minnesota loading the floor with shooting.
Miami and Boston may still lead because Giannis reportedly prefers the East. Minnesota's counter is the Edwards timeline, a true co-star and a package that can satisfy Milwaukee without touching its franchise guard.
That makes this more than noise. If the Bucks want maximum leverage, the Timberwolves have reintroduced a Western bid they cannot ignore.
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