Harsh Giannis Antetokounmpo reality Timberwolves fans must accept amid trade buzz

With the trade deadline less than two months away, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest name who could possibly be on the move. Giannis rumors have been floating around for a while, but amid an 11-15 start for the Milwaukee Bucks and him making subtle comments about his future, these rumors have never felt more real.

On Saturday, Chris Haynes discussed Giannis' future with the Bucks, noting that the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors have interest in Giannis.

The idea of Giannis and Anthony Edwards is tantalizing. This duo could set up the Wolves nicely to win a championship, and maybe Giannis would be open to landing in Minnesota given his relationship with Ant. Nevertheless, it's not very realistic that the Wolves can trade for Giannis.

Interest might be my favorite word around trade rumors. I'm sure the Wolves (and just about every team) would be interested in Giannis. However, this frankly doesn't mean a damn thing. I am interested in marrying Sydney Sweeney, but that's never going to happen. My point is that interest doesn't mean that something is going to happen or could realistically happen.

The Wolves can't realistically trade for Giannis

The major reason why the Wolves won't be able to trade for Giannis (barring something drastic) is their lack of draft capital. Sure, at face value, the Wolves own five first-round picks from 2026 to 2032. However, this number should have a massive asterisk on it.

For starters, while Minnesota does own its pick in 2032, it's frozen. Additionally, the Wolves' 2029 first-round pick will only convey if it lands within the top five, and 2030 is part of a pick swap where they receive the least favorable of three teams. That leaves us with the Wolves' 2026 and 2028 picks; even these picks are likely to be toward the second half of the first-round.

Minnesota must match salaries to trade for Giannis (or any player), and that's actually possible. The clearest path would be trading Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and one of their young players. This isn't a horrible return, and it allows the Bucks to remain competitive without having much of their draft capital. Regardless, Giannis is a clear-cut top-three player in the league, and simply getting some quality talent back won't cut it; draft picks must be part of the package.

Simply put, if the Bucks do indeed trade Giannis, best believe they're getting a king's ransom for him. Eventually, it will turn into a bidding war, and that's not something the Wolves can compete with. Despite Giannis' rumored interest in the Knicks, I view them in the same camp as the Wolves. However, the Heat and Warriors certainly have the assets to make a strong offer.

That's not even accounting for the other teams that could possibly get in the mix. The San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and Atlanta Hawks are three teams that come to mind for me. It's also worth noting that, per Chris Haynes, a big market and some sun are two things that Giannis prefers. So not only do the Wolves not have the assets to land him, but the Wolves presumably aren't one of his preferred destinations.

Unless a third team gets involved or Giannis' trade value is lower than I am anticipating, the Wolves trading for him isn't a realistic possibility.