The possibility of Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving the Milwaukee Bucks is beginning to feel more real than ever, and the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly one of the teams already positioning themselves for a potential blockbuster move.
Milwaukee has officially begun engaging with teams ahead of the NBA Draft as the franchise prepares for what could become the biggest trade saga of the offseason.
“We’re at 12-month mark, assuming he is traded. And right now, this is where everything is at,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said. “The Milwaukee Bucks are officially open for business. They are engaging with teams, they’re talking to teams, they’re getting teams’ best offers between now and the NBA draft, and they will make a decision.
“The biggest point that you need to know in all this is Giannis for a period of months has made it clear to the Bucks, to the parties that need to know, that he is ready, he believes the time has come for both sides to part ways, to move on from each other.”
The Lakers have already emerged as one of several high-profile teams linked to the two-time MVP, though putting together a realistic package may prove difficult.
“You’re going to see teams like Miami, Minnesota, Boston, Los Angeles. The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis at the deadline,” Charania confirmed. “Right now, what they’ll be able to offer is three first-round picks and cap space and essentially absorb Giannis’ contract.”
While Los Angeles clearly has interest in pairing Antetokounmpo with Luka Doncic, Charania questioned whether Milwaukee would seriously consider the Lakers’ current offer compared to what other franchises may be willing to put on the table.
“Now, if you’re the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space for three first-round picks? Like, my sense is they’re going to get better in the marketplace than that,” Charania said. “I think there’s a bigger appetite than that. And so time will tell; we’ll know in the next six weeks.”
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