There are a number of rumors swirling around Milwaukee Bucks superstar and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. It is believed that Antetokounmpo is open to being traded away either before the NBA trade deadline or in the offseason, and there are obviously a number of teams who would love to inquire him, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
The problem for the Lakers is that they don’t have a ton of assets to include in a deal at the moment. The Bucks would surely want a lot in any deal for their superstar and the Lakers don’t have much to offer in terms of draft picks or promising young talent.
Once the offseason hits, however, that changes and the Lakers could offer multiple draft picks in a trade which could open the door for them. And according to The Ringer’s Howard Beck on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, they are a team to keep an eye on for a potential Giannis trade if this stretches into the offseason:
“I was told recently that the Lakers were a team to keep an eye from Giannis’ standpoint, just as another team of interest. But, again, there’s a difficulty there in terms of trade assets. They’re another team where, once the summer comes, they got more on the draft capital side of things and they got more clarity once they figure out where LeBron is or isn’t and where Austin Reaves is because he’s a free agent.”
Of course, the Lakers are almost always mentioned as a possible destination any time a superstar becomes available, but they only really have a shot at landing Giannis if the Bucks wait to deal him in the offseason. Even then there will still be teams who can give more in a trade, so it could also require Antetokounmpo wanting to be dealt to the Lakers, similar to the Anthony Davis situation back in 2019.
That still feels like a longshot as Giannis has spoken more about a desire to join the New York Knicks rather than the Lakers. But somehow the Lakers have always found ways to land these superstars, and if they have the means to acquire Antetokounmpo, they will undoubtedly do everything in their power to bring him in.
Lakers’ LeBron James hasn’t thought about farewell tour or retirement yet
This offseason will also bring about questions for current Lakers superstar LeBron James, whose contract expires at the end of the season and will be an unrestricted free agent. He could also retire after his 23rd NBA season, but he recently revealed he hasn’t thought about whether this will be his final year yet.
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