All indications and reports show Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on the move, as his future with the Milwaukee Bucks is in greater question than ever before. While the Los Angeles Lakers have been rumored to be a potential trade candidate for the star, they might have one massive roadblock in the way.
That roadblock would be Austin Reaves, who is now playing at an All-Star level and setting himself up for a massive contract next summer in free agency. The Lakers have always been interested in adding superstar talent, but with Reaves’ rise, it could make it a lot harder for the team to go after Antetokounmpo.
Writing for The Stein Line, Jake Fischer explained that with Reaves’ impending contract extension, a mid-season trade for the Bucks could prove meaningless, as they could lose him in the open market in July.
“The Los Angeles Lakers may dream of entering the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes someday,” Enzo Flojo recapped for ClutchPoints. “NBA insiders, though, say their path is blocked by one major obstacle: Austin Reaves.”
Additionally, the Lakers lack the draft and trade capital a player like Antetokounmpo would require in any sort of deal. While they didn’t send a boatload of picks to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, they likely still won’t be able to offer anything close to what the Bucks would want in return.
Austin Reaves Could Hold Up A Lakers-Giannis Trade
Even after his best career year last season, it’s pretty easy to see the rise in Reaves’ play this year. Through 18 games, he is averaging 28.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 52.6% shooting. Most recently, in the game in which LeBron James’ double-digit scoring streak was ended, the star guard finished with 44 points, ten rebounds, and five assists, on 61.9% shooting, and it’s not like that was a one-off.
“In Los Angeles, Reaves is having the best season of his career. He is operating as the Lakers’ third star during their 16-5 start,” Flojo wrote. “Reaves has also expanded his on-ball role and strengthened his case for a major payday. On the flip side, that could weaken the Lakers’ chances of ever using him to chase a superstar like Giannis.”
Though the Lakers might not be to blame for Reaves’ uncertain future, standing in the way of a mid-season Antetokounmpo deal, they did, perhaps unexpectedly, put themselves in that position by only offering him $89 million over the summer, instead of anything close to the $241 million he might get.
If they had offered him a higher deal, he could have been locked down for a few years. With that, it would make the Bucks much more interested in adding him. However, in the final year of his deal, trading for a free agent is only something done by teams looking to make a title push, a position Milwaukee is not in right now.
How Realistic Is A Lakers Trade For Giannis?
Though a Doncic-Antetokounmpo would both be a unique on-court experiment and create perhaps the best duo in the NBA, it feels unlikely, regardless of whether Reaves is involved or not. Los Angeles doesn’t have a ton of draft assets or young players to send back to Milwaukee. At this point, any package they could offer wouldn’t come close to that of the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, or Miami Heat.
Yes, trading for a superstar, max contract player like Antetokounmpo likely is out of the question, but that doesn’t rule out a deal for a non-All-Star, but starter-level wing. It has been consistently reported that the Lakers were still interested in Andrew Wiggins of the Heat, a former champion and forward who could come in as a 3-and-D threat next to Doncic.
“Wiggins has many fans within the Lakers organization. He’s an athletic wing who can defend at a high level, get to the rim at will and finish in heavy traffic and shoot from beyond the arc,” Ashish Mathur wrote for LakersDaily. “A one-time All-Star, Wiggins is making $28.2 million this season. His player option for next season is worth $30.2 million.”
Wiggins is the type of player the Lakers could trade for, but a deal likely wouldn’t include Reaves, as finding anyone around the league who believes the two are on the same tier of player would be difficult.
Additionally, Heat president Pat Riley has reportedly no interest in making a trade with the Lakers, especially if it means helping James and his hopes of winning a fifth title. Yet still, Los Angeles has proven dangerous in the trade market, but at this point, though still unlikely, a deal for Wiggins feels much more reasonable than one for Antetokounmpo.
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