Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the hottest name in the offseason, for good measure. The Milwaukee Bucks star is on the market and several franchises will be lining up bids to grab a franchise-altering talent who can instantly elevate a championship ceiling.
The Bucks will reportedly entertain offers for their franchise cornerstone as they appear to move on. The Los Angeles Lakers will be one of those teams seeking a deal.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, the Lakers’ cap space doesn’t seem favorable enough to pursue Antetokounmpo. However, they can shed some money to make room.
“The Lakers would have to clear nearly $10 million to add Giannis into it,” Buha said in an appearance on “The Herd.” “And you can do that in one of two ways, you can either do a trade dump before the deal and maybe DeAndre Ayton opts out, if he does opt in you can trade him immediately. So you can do something like DeAndre Ayton and Dalton Knecht or you can do Jarred VanderBilt.”
Los Angeles is preserving assets, including their 2026 first-round pick, with an eye toward a potential superstar swing and Antetokounmpo being the prime target. However, a huge financial maneuvering will be needed especially pending LeBron James’ free agency status.
What A Deal For Ex-MVP May Look Like for the Lakers
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during a preseason game at Fiserv Forum on October 10, 2024
After 13 seasons, it appears that the Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee era will come to an end. The tension has been in the air for months and the Bucks would rather not keep him and lose him for free.
Antetokounmpo, 31, is under contract until the 2027-28 season. He signed a $186 million extension in 2023 and his massive salary will be over $50 million next season. It makes any trade logistically challenging, especially for teams already near the luxury tax thresholds.
There will be a high bar for making a deal viable for the Lakers. A haul of assets would likely be required to tempt the Bucks and if Antetokounmpo would be willing to come to L.A.
“There is two scenarios here where this heads from a slim probability to an actual possibility here,” Buha added. “I would have to be Giannis forces his way to L.A … The other scenario will just be in general the market for Giannis is cool and the offers are underwhelming.
Milwaukee received strong interest — most notably from the Miami Heat during the season. The franchise held out on any trade at the deadline to check out more offers during the offseason. This means the Lakers will face stiff competition from asset-heavy franchises.
What Antetokounmpo Would Bring
GettyThe Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James will meet to discuss their future this summer, making Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors all the more interesting.
A trade for Antetokounmpo will immediately toss the Lakers into a win-now window. They desperately need it as the Doncic era has already been set in motion. A disappointing exit in the playoffs to the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder could be overlooked but not when it occurs again.
The Lakers are seeking their first championship since 2020 and have hardly made any deep playoff run ever since. With Antetokounmpo on the roster, their championship aspirations increased overnight.
Whether L.A will be open to having James in the roster as well is still uncertain. However, it sets up for a potential superteam if he remains and they acquire Antetokounmpo.
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