Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s days playing for the Milwaukee Bucks may very well be numbered. Amid a rough start to the season for the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent are having conversations with Milwaukee about the 30-year-old’s future and potential departure from the team.
But one Los Angeles Lakers star apparently expressed interest in his team trading for Antetokounmpo months before this development. Superstar guard Luka Doncic reportedly inquired to see if the Lakers could pull off a blockbuster trade for the nine-time All-Star a few months ago, according to Lou Canellis of Fox Chicago.
“I can tell you this for a fact: A few months ago, Giannis wanted to be traded,” Canellis said. “His first choice, New York with the [New York] Knicks. Knicks wouldn’t move off, would not offer more than just Karl-Anthony Towns, and it just wasn’t gonna work with the Milwaukee Bucks if they were going to give up Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I can tell you that the Lakers inquired, and Luka Doncic himself inquired trying to see if the Lakers could work out a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.”
Some may remember that this past offseason, there was lots of noise surrounding Antetokounmpo. Charania reported in May that the two-time MVP was “open-minded” about exploring whether his best long-term fit would be somewhere other than Milwaukee. That noise eventually quieted, but now, his future is again a relevant topic.
Antetokounmpo has been stuck playing for middling Bucks teams for a while now. Though he did win a championship earlier on in his tenure in 2021, the Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in three straight years now, and based on their play so far this season, they could miss out on the 2026 NBA Playoffs in their entirety.
Doncic and Antetokounmpo would form an incredibly intimidating duo on the Lakers, as they’re arguably two of the top five players on the planet. Both are elite offensive talents who can essentially serve as one-man offenses when need be. Antetokounmpo is also one of the best defenders in the game.
It’s hard to argue that trading for Antetokounmpo wouldn’t raise the Lakers’ ceiling this season and in the years to come, but it’s also clear that the move would come with some risks, as they would certainly have to give up a king’s ransom to land him. That might mean depleting their depth and hurting their roster build.
Los Angeles’ depth has been one of its biggest strengths so far this season, as numerous players up and down the roster stepped up earlier in the campaign when Doncic and fellow star LeBron James were battling injuries and kept the Lakers afloat in the standings.
Hence, L.A. needs be careful, but there’s no denying that a chance to acquire someone like Antetokounmpo doesn’t come around very often. If he does become available, the Lakers should explore that avenue.