Timberwolves can benefit from recent Giannis update even if they are out of the sweepstakes

The Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be out of the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Last week, Jake Fischer reported that he doesn't see the Wolves factoring into the Giannis sweepstakes, and given that they are seemingly determined to keep Jaden McDaniels, pulling off a move is especially difficult. 

A Giannis trade seems imminent, though, with Fischer reporting on Tuesday that the Milwaukee Bucks intend to trade him before the NBA Draft later this month. Even if a Wolves-Giannis trade is no longer in the cards, this is fantastic news for Minnesota, as it increases the likelihood of the team being able to pursue another big-name trade. 

"Virtually every team we consult says pretty much the same thing now: There really is a growing expectation throughout the NBA that the Bucks intend to trade their Face of the Franchise before the two-day NBA Draft begins on June 23," Fischer wrote.

Undoubtedly, had the Bucks wanted to drag this saga through the offseason (which felt more than feasible with how they have approached things), that would have impacted how other teams approached the trade market.

Now, with a Giannis trade feeling imminent, other teams are likely to be more active on the trade market, which could help the Wolves land a co-star for Anthony Edwards sooner rather than later. 

Giannis being traded before the draft can help the Wolves pursue other stars

The Wolves have enough challenges as it is to pull off a trade for a star-level talent, whether it be their lack of draft capital, high payroll, or uncertain value of their top trade candidates. Thankfully, the accelerated timeline of a Giannis trade gives Minnesota one less hurdle. 

There are primarily two possible Wolves trade partners that this affects: the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. Currently, the Heat are considered the front-runners to land Giannis, but they often strike out on high-end stars (see Damian Lillard or Kevin Durant). If this happens again, they'll have to pivot, and given their past interest in Julius Randle, it's not out of the question that they try to trade for him again. 

One way or another, they have to break up the illogical pairing of Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. Neither player would be a "dream target" for the Wolves, but they'd provide some much-needed extra creation and shooting -- and to get off of Randle taking on one of them would be worth it.

Speaking of dream targets, Kyrie Irving is just that for the Wolves. And while the Mavs aren't at the forefront of Giannis trade rumors, per The Stein Line, Dallas has long intrigued the two-time MVP. Given his known connection to the Mavericks president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, a move can't be completely ruled out. 

Even though it would be tricky with the Mavs' lack of future draft capital, it's fair to expect that Dallas would want to see how the Giannis sweepstakes play out before entertaining other trade options. 

If and when the Mavericks strike out on Giannis, they'd could at the very least be open to trading Kyrie.  

And in general, many teams would be hesitant to make big moves before the biggest domino of the offseason falls.

Ultimately, Giannis being moved before the draft doesn't guarantee that the Wolves will land a star, but it certainly makes their pursuit of one easier, and that's great news.

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