The Minnesota Timberwolves couldn’t have felt comfortable watching the San Antonio Spurs win the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. A team that was figured to take a modest step this season took a giant leap to the NBA Finals and the Wolves are just one team that will now have to figure out how to get past San Antonio’s phenom Victor Wembanyama.
To do that, the Timberwolves may need reinforcements. But if Minnesota is really serious about getting over the hump, president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, must pull out a miracle and find a way to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Wembanyama’s playoff dominance creates a sense of urgency for the Timberwolves to trade for Giannis
There are several options the Wolves could pursue to get Edwards, the second star they’re looking for this summer. Kyrie Irving is a former NBA champion, has the reputation of a big shot maker and could be available as the Dallas Mavericks rebuild around Cooper Flagg.
Zion Williamson is a dynamic force that could throw his weight around in the paint and create opportunities on the perimeter. Ja Morant is risky but has enough upside to fill a big hole at point guard.
Those options are intriguing, but they may not be enough to stop Wembanyama.
Only 22 years old, Wembanyama took his game to another level during the regular season, averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and an NBA-high 3.1 blocks per game. He finished third in MVP voting and was the first unanimous winner of the Defensive Player of the Year Award and somehow found a way to elevate his game in the playoffs.
Wembanyama’s overall numbers (23.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3.5 bpg) are impressive. But Wolves fans watched as his length was a problem anytime they drove to the hoop and even saw him knock down big shots like a 7-foot-5 version of Kevin Durant.
Even the Thunder, who had a first-team All-NBA power forward in Chet Holmgren, could not stop Wembanyama as he averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 blocks over the seven- game series. This also included shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 40 percent on 3-pointers and a Game 7 performance where he put up 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a block while battling foul trouble.
Long story short, Wembanyama is a problem that isn’t going away and trading for Antetokounmpo would be the Wolves’ best chance of bringing in a ringer.
Antetokounmpo’s resume is destined for the Hall of Fame as a nine-time All-NBA selection, 10-time All-Star and former NBA champion (2021). But he’s also an elite defender, making the All-Defensive team five times and winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award during the 2019-20 season.
To match up with Wemby, you need a blend of strength and defensive acumen that few players can offer, but Giannis is one of those players.
Add in an offensive game that saw him shoot 62.4 percent from the floor this season and you have a dynamic superstar that becomes a problem for the Spurs or the Thunder, but Connelly must serve the first riddle to bring The Greek Freak to Minnesota.
Antetokounmpo will be at the center of an arms race for contenders across the NBA this offseason and the Wolves should be interested after inquiring about the Milwaukee Bucks star before last year’s trade deadline.
The Wolves will have to part ways with young talent to trade for Giannis
While teams will have better packages and deals for Antetokounmpo could create depth concerns, it could also convince Connelly to get aggressive with a series of moves to get the assets needed for a trade.
Maybe it’s a pair of microtransactions for Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle that could replenish their draft capital. It may also require throwing in Jaden McDaniels or even Joan Beringer to sweeten the pot to get the Bucks to say yes.
It could also involve acquiring and flipping a young, promising player to Milwaukee to keep Connelly’s “Sub-26” core, featuring players under the age of 26, including McDaniels, Edwards, Beringer and Naz Reid, somewhat intact.
There are other stars that could help the cause and they could even help Minnesota get back to the Western Conference Finals. But Wembanyama’s postseason performance should create a sense of urgency and convince the Wolves to do whatever it takes to acquire Antetokounmpo.
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