Giannis Antetokounmpo, Giannis trade, Lakers, nba trade deadline
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks pushes Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers for position during a 105-101 Bucks win at Crypto.com Arena on January 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly don’t feature in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s three preferred trade destinations, spelling bad news for the Purple & Gold franchise’s hopes of pairing the “Greek Freak” with Luka Doncic.
Per TrueHoop’s Henry Abbot, the New York Knicks — viewed as Antetokounmpo’s top landing spot since last offseason — along with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat are three teams the two-time MVP would prefer to join.
“One person told me that Giannis’ preferred list is three teams: the Heat, the Wolves and the Knicks,” Abbot told the “New York Post Sports” podcast.
“Now, another person told me that it is not his list, but would not tell me what his list is. So take it all with a grain of salt.
“From everything I’ve heard, Giannis would like to play for the Knicks, but I can’t figure out how they could possibly offer the package that the Bucks would like the most.”
Lakers: Unlikely Giannis Trade Suitor
From the outset, the Lakers were never viewed as serious contenders in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, given their limited draft assets and lack of an early 20s young piece the Bucks might target as a future franchise star. But some buzz began to build in December when Fox Chicago’s Lou Canellis reported that Luka Doncic urged the Lakers to inquire about Antetokounmpo last offseason.
“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,” Canellis said. “Now remember, Giannis wants to leave because he wants to win.”
League insiders believe the Lakers’ only realistic pathway to a Giannis trade would be if impending free agent Austin Reaves agrees to a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee this offseason, when the Lakers would have up to three tradeable first-round picks. However, if Henry Abbot’s sources are to be believed, Antetokounmpo isn’t clamoring to move to Los Angeles to play with Doncic.
Giannis Trade Saga Nears End
While the more realistic timeline for a Giannis trade remains this summer, teams are reportedly preparing for a blockbuster move to go down by the Feb. 5 trade deadline. That, despite the 2021 NBA Finals MVP being sidelined indefinitely with a calf strain.
“When I talk to teams in the league, they all believe he’s going to get traded by next Thursday,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told “Get Up” on Wednesday.
“Team after team that I talk to is preparing for it,” he added.
Tom Haberstroh and Andscape’s Marc J. Spears have made similar forecasts.
“I don’t think that he’s going to be in Milwaukee in a couple of weeks,” Haberstroh predicted on Tuesday, explaining why it makes financial sense for Antetokounmpo to be moved by the Feb. 5 deadline, as he’d finish six months with his new team by Oct. and therefore be eligible for a four-year, $275M extension.
For what it’s worth, insiders Jake Fischer and Mark Stein have continued to maintain that a Giannis trade is more likely to go down during the offseason, when interested suitors would have the ability to make more compelling offers.
Shams Charania
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen, league sources tell ESPN.