NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst drops eye-opening line about Giannis’ Timberwolves trade interest

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.

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.”

.@WindhorstESPN has more on Giannis and where he may land pic.twitter.com/5ZOvOkUGPL

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 29, 2026

Timberwolves narrow trade path intersects with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future

Scotto added that Reid and DiVincenzo would likely need to be included in a blockbuster scenario involving an All-Star caliber player for Minnesota to consider moving them, underscoring how narrowly the Timberwolves are defining a potential Antetokounmpo pursuit.

Antetokounmpo, 31, remains under contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on a three-year, $175.3 million extension and continues to perform at an elite level despite the team’s struggles. Milwaukee sits 12th in the Eastern Conference standings and has lost three straight games, a slide that has intensified league-wide speculation about whether the franchise will reset its roster before the deadline.

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 currently occupy sixth place in the Western Conference standings. 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 embarking on a three-game road trip that begins Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies (18-27).

League executives continue to monitor whether Milwaukee will engage in negotiations over the next several days or allow the market to develop further. Windhorst’s remarks suggest that Minnesota’s involvement is not speculative noise but a situation grounded in legitimate interest.

As the deadline approaches, Antetokounmpo’s future remains the league’s central storyline. Whether the Timberwolves can translate interest into a viable offer remains uncertain, but Windhorst’s comments ensure Minnesota is now firmly part of the conversation.

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