If the Los Angeles Lakers cannot land two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, they may still have a path to reshaping their roster — just not the one that dominates headlines.
That alternative, according to SB Nation’s Harrison Faigen, is not chasing another superstar, but positioning themselves to capitalize on the aftermath of a blockbuster elsewhere.
Specifically: New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
“My thing is, I just don’t know who’s realistically available and whether the Lakers even have the assets to go get them,” Faigen said this week on the Lakers Lounge podcast. “The Lakers can’t get Giannis at the trade deadline. They don’t have enough, and they don’t have the contracts that really match up and make it make sense.
“My dream scenario is to get in on the aftermath of a Giannis trade to the Knicks and land OG Anunoby if you can.”
Why the Lakers Can’t Realistically Trade for Giannis
The Lakers’ limitations are structural.
They currently have only one tradable first-round pick — either 2031 or 2032 — available for in-season deals. That total expands to three in the offseason, but at the trade deadline, their flexibility is narrow.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo remains the most coveted theoretical prize in the league.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in the offseason that the Knicks were his preferred destination, fueling ongoing speculation around New York’s desire to win now and Milwaukee’s long-term direction.
For now, the Bucks are signaling they will act as buyers, not sellers, at the deadline. Milwaukee is 12–18 and 11th in the East, but NBA insider Jake Fischer reported the organization remains committed to building around Antetokounmpo rather than moving him midseason.
That leaves the Lakers watching from the periphery.
The Jrue Holiday Model: Winning on the Margins
Faigen’s argument is not that Anunoby is equal to Antetokounmpo — but that roster construction matters more than star accumulation.
“Now you’re tapping into what the Celtics did with Jrue Holiday — where you get in on the aftermath of the Dame trade and pick up the guy the team that’s about to go into the tank has to sell off for more picks,” Faigen said. “You go get the winning role player.
“You don’t necessarily go get the star, because what we’re seeing in the NBA is that what wins is depth — talent spread out across your roster on reasonable contracts — versus stacking the decks with as many expensive guys as you can.”
Anunoby, an elite perimeter defender and low-usage scorer, fits that archetype precisely.
Lakers’ Recent Slide Highlights Urgency
The Lakers’ interest in any defensive upgrade is grounded in necessity.
They have lost three straight games, including a 119–96 defeat to Houston on Christmas Day, falling to 19–10. All 10 of their losses this season have been by double digits.
Their defensive rating sits at 118.1, fifth-worst in the NBA.
That erosion prompted head coach JJ Redick to deliver a blistering postgame assessment.
“We’re a terrible basketball team and tonight we were a terrible basketball team,” Redick said. “We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be a professional. We don’t have it right now.”
Redick later warned that internal accountability was unavoidable.
“The meeting is gonna be uncomfortable,” he said. “I’m not doing another 53 games like this.”
Odds Still Say Lakers Are Contenders — But Reality Is Louder
Despite the skid, sportsbooks still view the Lakers optimistically. They are tied with Houston and New York for the third-best championship odds at Betway, one of the UK’s best betting sites.
But the numbers on the floor tell a different story: declining defense, inconsistent effort, and a roster built heavily on offense and light on athleticism.
Anunoby, if available, would address exactly that imbalance.
The Real Question Facing Los Angeles
The Lakers’ crossroads is not whether they can land Giannis.
It is whether they are willing to pivot from fantasy to function.
Do they wait for a seismic move that may never come?
Or do they prepare to strike in the quieter moments — when another team reshapes itself and a winning piece becomes available?
As Faigen framed it, championships are not always won by the loudest transaction — but by the smartest one.
And for the Lakers, that may begin not with Giannis Antetokounmpo — but with what comes after him.
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