T-Wolves' NBA Title Odds Get Big Shakeup amid Giannis Trade Rumors at 2026 Deadline

The Minnesota Timberwolves are rumored to be pursuing a trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday's deadline, which has led to plenty of movement with regard to their title odds.

The Timberwolves briefly had the third-best consensus odds (+1200) to win an NBA title this season. The team previously had the eighth-best odds (+1800) as of Tuesday night before they slid back to +2200 on Wednesday afternoon.

Minnesota was involved in a three-team trade on Tuesday that sent guards Mike Conley Jr. and Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls and guard Kevin Huerter and forward Dario Saric to the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons also received a 2026 first-round protected swap from the Timberwolves in the deal.

Interestingly, Minnesota didn't receive a player in the trade. However, ESPN's Bobby Marks explained that the Timberwolves are now under the first apron and had their luxury tax drop from $24 million to $3.8 million. ESPN's Shams Charania noted that the deal "creates significant tax savings and roster space" for the Timberwolves as they "pursue a Milwaukee star this week," referring to Antetokounmpo.

There's growing speculation that Minnesota is gearing up for a major move at Thursday's trade deadline. During Monday's episode of NBA Today, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported, "They're out there recruiting third and fourth teams to try to improve their offer to see if they can get Giannis. If they don't, which I think it's a long shot, you could see them making a backup deal with a guard."

If the Timberwolves pull off a trade for Antetokounmpo, they would undoubtedly be one of the favorites to win the NBA championship this season and beyond, but only time will tell if they will be able to land the biggest prize of the trade deadline this year