There have been rumblings about Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially forcing a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks for several months, but it appears the situation is finally coming to a head. According to multiple reports, Antetokounmpo has met with the team about getting traded.
The Los Angeles Lakers don’t have a ton of assets after trading for Luka Doncic last season, but it’s not impossible for them to make a deal work if Antetokounmpo wants to play for the team. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus broke down what a deal might look like.
“While buzz in NBA circles has the 30-year-old preferring the New York Knicks to Los Angeles, and perhaps more importantly, Milwaukee is highly reluctant to move its franchise player, let’s go with the premise that the Bucks consider all offers, and a deal built around Reaves and a 2031 first-round pick stands out as their best option,” Pincus wrote.
“The Lakers are limited by their first-apron hard cap to a maximum payroll of $195.9 million. Going with the assumption LeBron James isn’t willing to relocate (he has a no-trade clause), the Lakers would need to send out two starters in Rui Hachimura and Reaves. The additional salaries include Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht and one of Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent.”
Would Giannis Trade Make Lakers Better?
There’s almost no way the Lakers could trade for Antetokounmpo without having to move Reaves. He’s playing like an All-Star, so that’d be a big loss. Plus, he’s younger than Antetokounmpo.
That said, his skill set is a bit redundant with Doncic. Antetokounmpo would fit perfectly with the star guard and would fill the Lakers’ biggest need.
“From a point of view, Antetokounmpo is a step up from Anthony Davis, the primary player sent to the Dallas Mavericks in the Dončić trade,” Pincus wrote. “The most significant loss is Reaves, Hachimura, and depth. The Lakers forfeit shooting, playmaking, shot creation, and depth.
“Still, Antetokounmpo dramatically improves the team’s ability to defend and score around the basket.”
If Doncic and Antetokounmpo were able to stay healthy, and the Lakers could still have LeBron James on the roster, they’d have to be considered one of the top title contenders in the Western Conference.
James Playing Last Season With Lakers?
While Pincus’ piece centered on Antetokounmpo possibly going to the Lakers, he also dropped a nugget about James. Apparently, people around the NBA think that he’s playing his last season in Los Angeles.
“While general manager Rob Pelinka said before the season that he’d like James to retire with the Lakers, the buzz around the NBA is that this will be his final season in Los Angeles (whether he decides to continue playing or call it a career),” Pincus wrote.
“With Antetokounmpo and Dončić under contract, a projected $166 million salary cap and just a few players, the Lakers could reach about $36 million in cap room (depending on where their 2026 first-round pick lands). That figure shrinks to about $24.7 million if Ayton ($8.1 million) and Smart ($5.4 million) opt in.”
Having a player like Antetokounmpo would certainly help soften the blow of losing James in the offseason.
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