Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks high fives Brook Lopez.
With the Lakers all but confirming the hiring of Jason Kidd as an assistant coach at Frank Vogel’s press conference, it is fairly safe to say at this point that Kidd should be entrenched with the Lakers in some capacity for the foreseeable future. While many feel he was primarily brought on to take over the job should Vogel falter out of the gate, one possible alternative is that he may have actually been brought on to recruit.
Having formerly coached and developed a strong rapport with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Lakers could be looking to make a play on the Greek Freak when he hits unrestricted free agency in two years. While the Bucks will own his Bird Rights and be able to offer him a much higher salary, the promise of playing in a major market alongside a familiar face might just be enough to entice Giannis.
Lakers’ Recent Moves Hint At Free Agency Push for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Beyond just having a strong relationship with his former coach, Giannis considers Kobe Bryant to be one of his mentors and the Mamba has publicly challenged the Bucks superstar and helped him grow. It is clear Giannis has HEAPS of respect for Kobe and the opportunity to follow in his footsteps (and win where LeBron couldn’t) might be too tempting of an offer to pass up.
Even though the Bucks can offer more money in free agency if recent history has taught us anything it is that players are more than comfortable ditching their super-max deals in favor of playing where they desire. While likely a massive longshot, the Lakers could possibly be wanting to keep Kidd around as a backup plan JUST IN CASE something ever materializes on that front.
How Would Giannis Fit on the Lakers?
The way the Lakers are currently constructed, Giannis might be an absolutely horrendous fit. Thankfully, the Lakers have a few years to right the ship and a similar style of player to build the right type of team around. While LeBron and Giannis possess slightly different skill sets, both are otherworldly athletes who excel at driving to the rim and finishing through contact or kicking out to an open man.
The Lakers somewhat botched that build last season but with Magic Johnson out the door and a fresh head coach, have the chance to build something a little different. While the Lakers young core can reasonably be expected to take another step in their development, they still need to find shooters and big men. Thankfully they have heaps of cap space available and should be able to either lure in elite talent or at the very least build out some solid lineup depth.
Assuming the Lakers find competent shooters and the young core takes that next step, in two years when Giannis is a free agent the Lakers might be an absolutely perfect fit. However, they need to play their cards right over the next two seasons and properly develop their young talent – not to mention maintaining the cap flexibility to go hunting for Giannis when the time comes.