Of the six teams at the top of the Western Conference standings, the Minnesota Timberwolves are believed to be the one who are most aggressively looking to make a major move ahead of the trade deadline. The Wolves have been linked to various upgrades in the backcourt all season as Rob Dillingham hasn’t emerged the way they envisioned when they traded for him on draft night in 2024, plus they are in serious pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Wolves were similarly highly motivated to acquire Kevin Durant both at last year’s trade deadline and again in June before he was dealt by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets.
“The most aggressive team in the West right now is the Minnesota Timberwolves,” said Brian Windhorst on Monday’s episode of Get Up. “They are in the game for Giannis. I don’t believe that their offers can outweigh the other offers and I’m not even sure that Giannis is getting traded before Thursday.
“The Timberwolves are being aggressive. If they don’t make what I would call a Hail Mary Giannis deal, I think they are aggressively looking to upgrade their backcourt.
“And they have beaten the Thunder twice this year. So, they certainly, you know, are a team that would have some confidence against them. But when the Thunder at the top of their game, I’m not sure you’re touching them.”
Windhorst added that he doesn’t anticipate the Thunder, Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers making a major transaction at the deadline. The San Antonio Spurs and Rockets, meanwhile, have not been linked with Antetokounmpo and are also expected to let the deadline pass without major activity.