2 trades Timberwolves must make to help Anthony Edwards take next step

This is the move that changes everything.

The Milwaukee Bucks are at a crossroads. Back-to-back postseason failures have made it increasingly clear that the current roster is not capable of delivering another title, and Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves better than watching his prime slip away on a team that cannot keep up. Minnesota should be the most aggressive franchise in the league this offseason when it comes to making the call to Milwaukee.

The fit is genuinely elite. Giannis is a paint-dominating, high-motor force who thrives in transition and pick-and-roll situations, which would play perfectly alongside Edwards’ pull-up shooting and perimeter creation. Edwards would benefit enormously from having a threat at the rim who draws constant defensive attention and opens up driving lanes that simply do not exist right now. Defensively, pairing Giannis with Rudy Gobert would give the Timberwolves arguably the two most physically imposing defenders in the Western Conference under the same roof.

The Timberwolves could structure an offer around Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a package of future first-round picks. Randle gives Milwaukee a veteran scorer who can serve as an offensive hub during a rebuild, while DiVincenzo provides the proven three-and-D wing rotation the Bucks would need. Minnesota would be giving up a lot, but trading a player who scored three points in a playoff elimination game and a complementary piece for one of the five best players on the planet is not a difficult calculation to make.

Giannis at 31 still has multiple prime years remaining. Edwards at 24 is just getting started. The combination of those two on the same team would make Minnesota the most feared roster in the NBA and an immediate Western Conference Finals contender in 2027.

Bring Kawhi Leonard to Minnesota from the Los Angeles Clippers

If the Giannis deal does not materialize, Minnesota should pivot to Kawhi Leonard immediately.

The Los Angeles Clippers are in full rebuild mode. Kawhi is entering the final chapter of his career and has spent the better part of three seasons dealing with injuries that have prevented him from ever fully recapturing his 2019 championship form with Toronto. At this point, the Clippers would almost certainly listen to offers for the two-time Finals MVP if it means accelerating their transition to a younger core.

Kawhi would bring something to Minnesota that no other trade target can offer: championship DNA. He is a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and one of the greatest two-way players in NBA history. Even at a reduced level, Leonard is still capable of taking over games when healthy, providing elite perimeter defense on the other end, and serving as the veteran closer that Edwards needs next to him in high-pressure playoff moments.

Trading Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and a future first-round pick could be enough to pique Los Angeles’ interest. The Clippers get a young, switchable defender in McDaniels to build around, a proven big man in Reid who has playoff experience, and draft assets to continue reshaping their roster. Minnesota absorbs Kawhi’s remaining contract in exchange for two rotation pieces and gains a proven winner who has already done it on the biggest stage.

The health risk is real, and anyone building a case for Kawhi has to acknowledge it honestly. But a Timberwolves team that adds a healthy Kawhi Leonard to a core of Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert is a team that no one in the Western Conference wants to face in a seven-game series. His defensive versatility alone would address the exact matchup problems that made San Antonio’s stars so difficult to contain in the second round.

Minnesota cannot afford another offseason of small adjustments. Anthony Edwards is too good and too young to waste another year waiting for the roster around him to figure itself out. Whether the answer is Giannis or Kawhi, the Timberwolves must be aggressive. The time to move is now.