On Wednesday afternoon, Shams Charania reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo is open to finding a new home and that the Milwaukee Bucks are starting to listen to aggressive offers for him. While Shams has reported on Giannis' future with Milwaukee before, it feels different this time -- a trade now seems inevitable.
ESPN story on the Milwaukee Bucks starting to listen to aggressive offers on 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is prepared for a new home at the trade deadline or in the offseason:https://t.co/2k74KgnN4U
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2026
This should undoubtedly teach the Minnesota Timberwolves a lesson. No, I'm not saying that an Anthony Edwards trade request is anywhere close to happening -- I want to make that clear. The Wolves have been to two straight conference finals, and Edwards has enjoyed a considerable amount of success in young career.
Nevertheless, the Wolves must make sure they build a sustainable contender around Edwards, and they must avoid some key mistakes made by Milwaukee.
The Bucks' aggressive moves didn't work out
It wasn't for a lack of trying on the Bucks' end that led to Giannis essentially asking out. They traded for Jrue Holiday and ultimately won the 2021 finals in part due to this move. In 2023, after a disappointing first-round exit, they mortgaged their future by trading for Damian Lillard. The fit seemed ideal, but it wasn't in reality. After two first-round exits and Lillard tearing his Achilles, the Bucks waived him to sign Myles Turner.
Still, it was clear that the Bucks were at a talent disadvantage this season, and it's worked out worse than ever imaginable as Milwaukee isn't even a Play-In team.
My point is that while making aggressive moves is a good thing, you'd better make sure that you find players who fit around your stars. Thus far, Tim Connelly has done a fantastic job of this, trading for Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle.
While Ant is 24, Gobert is 33, and Randle is 31. This is somewhat similar to how the Bucks had an aging roster around Giannis. As such, at some point, the Wolves will have to reinvent the core around Edwards. Currently, they are hampered by a lack of draft capital -- but as time goes on, they'll have more access to their future picks. Thus, they could eventually make another big move.
If and when this time comes, it will be vital for the Wolves to focus on fit, not just raw talent.
The Wolves must develop young talent better
Another key aspect of building a long-term contender around Ant is developing young players. The Bucks struggled mightily in this regard, failing to sign a draft pick to a second contract for 11 straight years. So far, this hasn't been a strength of the Timberwolves as the team has moved into contention -- with the Rob Dillingham draft-day trade aging especially poorly.
Undoubtedly, remaining competitive and developing young players is a challenging balance. Regardless, it's something the best teams do. Joan Beringer's development and whoever they draft moving forward will be crucial to the Wolves' ability to build a sustainable contender around Edwards. Yes, it's great that he is still 24, Jaden McDaniels is 25, and Naz Reid is 26 -- but the Wolves need more outside of this trio.
Ultimately, the Wolves are far away from a Giannis-like situation with Edwards. Regardless, they must continue to make wise decisions and develop young players better to avoid this problem down the road.