The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of big decisions to make this offseason, but around the league, arguably the biggest domino to fall will be that of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Since winning the NBA Championship in 2021, the Bucks have won just one playoff series. They are 4-12 in the last three postseasons and while Antetokounmpo has dealt with some injuries during that time, it’s reasonable to think that the current core in Milwaukee has plateaued while the rest of the league continues to get better.
Now that Antetokounmpo is in his 30s, he needs to consider if Milwaukee is the place he wants to spend the rest of his career and according to Shams Charania of ESPN, he may be open to a trade for the first time:
The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise’s third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but, for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.
Teams have approached the Bucks frequently over the years about the availability of Antetokounmpo as a normal exercise, and they are expected to ramp up due diligence during combine week, according to league sources.
The Bucks and Antetokounmpo’s representatives, Giorgios Panou and Alex Saratsis, are expected to sit down during the offseason to discuss the future, sources said.
As someone that has stayed loyal his entire career, no one would fault Giannis for asking out at this point to put himself in a better situation to pursue more championships.
Plenty of teams will be lined up for Antetokounmpo’s services and while they surely will be out-bid, the Lakers could be one of them. Recent reports indicated there were rumblings that Antetokounmpo was interested in playing in L.A. and if that is the case, he can attempt to steer his way to the Lakers similar to how other stars have done it in recent years.
Giannis has just two years left on his max contract which gives him some leverage if he were to ask out. The Lakers’ best offer would include Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, their 2031 first-round pick and multiple swaps, which again, likely isn’t enough unless the Greek superstar says he only wants to play for the Lakers.
It is worth pointing out though that a superstar big man has been traded from the Bucks to the Lakers before, and things worked out pretty well for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the purple and gold when that happened.
Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated Luka Doncic being traded to the Lakers
A pairing of Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo would surely get the Lakers back in the championship mix immediately. Antetokounmpo understands how prestigious the Lakers organization is as when Doncic got traded there, he celebrated the Slovenian star becoming the first international face of the purple and gold.
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