Rob Pelinka faces warnings that a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo could severely handicap LA’s roster depth and financial flexibility.
On Feb. 17, reports indicated that the Lakers view themselves on a “short list” of destinations for Antetokounmpo should he request a trade. As the primary architect for the organization, Pelinka must weigh the appeal of the superstar against the risk of leaving the roster non-existent beyond its top tier.
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Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks speaks to the media during the NBA All-Star media day at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, on February 14, 2026. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
(Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)
The financial burden of such an acquisition remains significant. Antetokounmpo will earn $58,456,566 in the 2026-27 season before a $62.8 million player option, per Spotrac. While the Lakers expect to have between $50 million and $80 million in cap space during the 2026 offseason, absorbing this contract would eliminate nearly all flexibility to sign veteran minimum players.
A trade for a player of this magnitude would require the team to sacrifice core depth pieces, specifically Austin Reaves and forward Rui Hachimura.
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According to Ryan Stano for the Los Angeles Lakers on SI, such a move would “significantly handicap Los Angeles’s ability to have any depth at all.”
Jovan Buha Questions ‘Pushing All Chips In’ For One Player
Pelinka will have one of the biggest decisions of his career in the 2026 offseason, a strategy involving three future first-round picks in 2026, 2031, and 2033. Pelinka deliberately withheld these picks at the 2026 trade deadline to maintain maximum strategic flexibility.
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But on a recent episode of the Yahoo Sports Daily podcast, The Athletic’s Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha questioned the strategy:
“If you do that, you have almost no depth, and it’s really tough to build out the rest of the roster.”
Buha questioned whether the organization should “push all their chips in” for one player or balance the roster with more versatile pieces.
Buha predicts a “multi-year path” to contention involving several transactional cycles rather than a single summer overhaul:
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“I do think this is probably going to be a multi-transactional cycle here where it’s not just going to be the rosters built over the summer.”
The rebuild could extend through the next trade deadline and perhaps even the following offseason. This strategy suggests the Lakers might not emerge as true contenders until the 2027-28 season.
Governor Jeanie Buss and owner Mark Walter will guide the final collaborative decision-making process. The choice remains whether to pursue the star power of Antetokounmpo or maintain the versatility required to compete with deep, modern NBA contenders.
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Related: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo News Announced After 15 Missed Games
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.