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Hawks the Favorites to Strike Trade With Timberwolves: Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The NBA free agency window officially opened today at 6 PM ET, kicking off the league’s busiest and wildest time of the year. With teams working phones and eyeing roster upgrades, the Atlanta Hawks have quickly emerged as front-runners to make a big splash, and the buzz surrounds Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, “The Hawks are now being more frequently projected by rival teams as the team in pole position ahead of Detroit to acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a potential sign-and-trade deal with Minnesota.”

The 26-year-old averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last season and is expected to command a deal near the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Alexander-Walker has become a hot commodity, and the Hawks have a major advantage a $25.3 million traded player exception (TPE) created when they sent Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans. That TPE, which expires on July 7, could be used to absorb Alexander-Walker’s new deal without sending out matching salary. If a trade goes through, the Timberwolves would be the ones creating a trade exception this time around.

The Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are the latest teams to monitor in the Nickeil Alexander-Walker market, per @JonKrawczynski

“The Wolves do have a few young guards and wings, including Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham, who the team believes are ready to… pic.twitter.com/3m8zBK7SVy
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 30, 2025

Minnesota simply can’t afford to keep him, especially after locking in Julius Randle and Naz Reid. With younger guards like Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark, and Terrence Shannon Jr. in the mix, the Wolves are ready to move on.

For Atlanta, who already added Kristaps Porzingis and picked Asa Newell in the draft, this would be another sharp move under new GM Onsi Saleh. Alexander-Walker brings scoring punch and defensive versatility, making him a perfect bench fit behind Trae Young or alongside Dyson Daniels, last season’s Most Improved Player.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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