Every Top Suitor's 'Plan B' If They Don't Trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
As the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga continues to develop, we only know two things for certain.
The first is that, according to both ESPN's Shams Charania and The Athletic's Sam Amick, four teams have emerged as the main pursuers of the two-time MVP: the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors.
The second is that, at a minimum, three of those teams are guaranteed to wake up the day after the Feb. 5 trade deadline feeling profound disappointment.
Based on reporting from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Milwaukee Bucks "are asking for the moon," effectively telling interested teams they want "all of your young players and all of your draft picks."
This is a wise negotiating posture, but it's also one that could result in Giannis sticking with the Bucks past the deadline. And then we can do this all over again in the offseason.
In that scenario, all four of the teams most interested in acquiring Antetokounmpo will have to pivot—at least for the rest of this season and possibly beyond. Let's examine those contingency plans.
Miami Heat: Play the Cap Space Game
1 of 4
The Miami Heat hesitated when Ja Morant became available earlier this season, in large part because they didn't want to ditch their goal of carving out massive cap space in 2027. Antetokounmpo is the kind of superstar who'd compel them to scrap those plans.
If Miami doesn't land Giannis prior to the deadline, it needs to stay the course. Ironically, continuing to prioritize flexibility in the summer of 2027 could result in Antetokounmpo coming to South Beach after all.
Presumably, any team that trades for Giannis by Feb. 5 will have a very good idea of his willingness to sign an extension when he's eligible on Oct. 1. Then again, the Toronto Raptors dealt for Kawhi Leonard in 2018 knowing he wouldn't re-sign with them.
The rental netted them a title, Leonard left after that one season and nobody in Toronto felt an iota of regret.
That's all to say, the Heat need not give up all hope of landing Giannis if they can't trade for him this season. It's possible he'll be a free agent soon enough, and even if he re-ups with whichever team acquires him, plenty of other intriguing names could be on the market just as the Heat achieve maximum payroll flexibility in 2027, when Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jović are the only players on the current roster with guaranteed money on the books.
Patience could put the Heat in prime position to have their pick of Giannis, Nikola Jokić, Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving and others in what looks like a loaded 2027 free-agent class.
New York Knicks: Call the Pelicans
2 of 4
The Knicks and Bucks had conversations about a Giannis trade over the summer, and Karl-Anthony Towns didn't take kindly to being included. Per Amick, those "hard feelings ... remain to this day."
Towns would basically have to be involved in any Antetokounmpo deal for salary-matching purposes, but he's a negative-value asset because of the $118 million he'll collect over the two seasons after this one. The Knicks don't have the necessary draft picks to use as sweeteners.
That makes New York an extreme long shot for Antetokounmpo. It needs to aim lower for its trade targets.
Ian Begley reported on SNY.tv that the Knicks "remain interested in New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, while HoopsHype's Michael Scotto tabbed Pelicans center Yves Missi as another potential option.
Considering the Knicks' most likely trade assets are Guerschon Yabusele, Pacome Dadiet and up to seven second-round picks, Alvarado and Missi feel like more realistic acquisitions. Both would address needs, with Missi bringing intensity and rebounding at the 5, while Alvarado could ease the ball-handling load on Jalen Brunson.
Big picture, New York probably needs to focus on rehabbing Towns' value in an effort to trade him over the summer. His inabilities to anchor a defense or maximize his shooting skill by adding volume have long caused frustration among his teammates. And if he's upset about being mentioned in previous trade talks, a split would be best for everyone.
Getting out of the KAT business is a longer-term priority—one the Knicks can address after they make smaller-scale additions to the rotation.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Grab a Guard
3 of 4
Of all the teams we're discussing, the Minnesota Timberwolves are the only one that could lose out on Giannis at the deadline, shrug, say "oh, well" and go on about its business.
Minnesota has made the last two Conference Finals, just knocked off the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 29 and is as dangerous as any team in the league on the right night. Though the Wolves have had their ups and downs this season, they're still capable of winning a championship if they don't make a major upgrade. And if that feels a little overstated, we can at least agree that they're a cut above the Heat, Knicks and Warriors.
As such, the Wolves' needs are relatively minor. They could use another rotation-caliber playmaker who can take over the role neither Mike Conley nor Rob Dillingham has managed to fill. That doesn't necessarily mean Minnesota has to acquire a point guard, but when wings who can facilitate tend to cost a little more.
Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Jose Alvarado or Collin Sexton would all make sense.
If Antetokounmpo doesn't get traded at all, Minnesota has more incentive than most to keep its powder dry.
Fischer reported: "...the prospect of teaming up with Anthony Edwards holds strong appeal for Antetokounmpo..." and that "...Antetokounmpo has quietly had the Timberwolves in his thoughts dating to the offseason."
The Wolves could re-engage this summer knowing Antetokounmpo could put his thumb on the scale just as they're able to expand their draft pick offerings.
Golden State Warriors: Dump Kuminga and Pray
4 of 4
For several reasons, the Warriors will feel worst about pivoting to a Plan B if they can't acquire Giannis at the deadline.
With Stephen Curry's 38th birthday approaching and Jimmy Butler out for the year, they're the suitor with the bleakest outlook if they don't get a deal done. What's more, they actually have the ability to make the best offer. The Warriors can put four first-rounders on the table, could make a perfect salary match with Butler's contract and/or can entice Milwaukee with young players like Brandin Podziemski (a Wisconsin native) and Jonathan Kuminga.
Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst: "If there's a deal that's going to be made before the deadline, in my belief, Golden State is the team to make that deal. Because the other teams have to get third and fourth teams involved. That's why Golden State is probably going to be the most aggressive between now and Thursday."
If Golden State misses out, it'll have to focus on trading Kuminga for the best return possible and waiting until the next huge name enters the news cycle.
The Warriors will peak as a Play-In team with Butler out, and their prospects for 2026-27 will be grim if they don't make a major offseason addition. Butler will miss a good chunk of next year, and it's hard to imagine him regaining even fringe All-Star form in his age-37 season after an ACL tear.
The Dubs could also play the long-term cap-space game, as all three of Curry, Butler and Draymond Green can hit free agency in 2027, but that would mean throwing away Curry's 2026-27 campaign—a mortal sin if he continues to play at an All-NBA level.
Without Giannis, Golden State will have no choice but to wait for the next megastar to become available.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
