The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly on Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s radar as a potential landing spot.
During an appearance Thursday on the Zach Lowe Show (h/t HoopsHype), Howard Beck of The Ringer said he was recently told by sources that the Lakers are “a team to keep an eye [on] from Giannis’ standpoint just as another team of interest.“
However, Beck noted that it is far more likely a Giannis-to-Lakers trade would occur during the offseason than prior to the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline. That is because L.A. will have more first-round picks available to trade during the offseason, as well as clarity regarding the statuses of impending free agents LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
This week, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks are “starting to listen” to “aggressive offers” for Antetokounmpo made by multiple teams.
Charania proceeded to name the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks as the most serious suitors for Giannis should the Bucks decide to trade him before the deadline.
The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo entered this season having finished fourth or better in the NBA MVP voting in seven straight seasons.
Overall, he is a nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection, two-time NBA MVP, one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, one-time NBA champion and one-time NBA Finals MVP.
He is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per contest this season, but he has been limited to 30 games due to injury, and he is currently on the shelf with a calf strain.
The Lakers made one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history last season when they acquired superstar guard Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.
An encore in the form of acquiring Giannis would turn the NBA upside-down, but it seems unlikely to happen before the deadline since the Lakers would likely have to include LeBron in a trade for Giannis in order to make the salaries work.
Bringing in Giannis and pairing him with Dončić would arguably make the Lakers the team to beat in the stacked Western Conference, but they may not have the pieces to make it happen even if they want to.
The Lakers are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 28-18 record, and while it is somewhat difficult to envision them knocking off the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs or Denver Nuggets come playoff time, it may not be implausible of Dončić, James and Reaves are all healthy and playing at a high level come playoff time.