With the Feb. 5 trade deadline right around the corner, it seems very possible that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has already played his final game as a Milwaukee Buck and will be dealt soon.
Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined with a calf injury and has been the subject of increasing trade chatter, but it doesn’t seem like fans of the Los Angeles Lakers should be holding their breath about the possibility of landing him.
One anonymous NBA general manager claimed that the “only way” the Lakers could pull off a trade for Antetokounmpo would be if they included star forward LeBron James as part of a wider deal sending him elsewhere.
“You could package everything they’ve got outside of LeBron and Luka [Doncic] but you won’t get the Bucks to ‘Yes’ on a trade, even as good as [Austin] Reaves has been,” the GM said, per Heavy Sports. “You’re not getting Giannis Antetokounmpo for Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and three other mid-rotation guys plus one pick. The only way to get the assets is to send out LeBron, assuming he would waive his no-trade (clause).
“I don’t think they would do that with LeBron in midseason, and I don’t think that if Giannis gives the Bucks a list that it has L.A. on the top. But there’s no other way for Giannis to get to the Lakers that I can see unless it’s LeBron or Luka going out.”
Teams like the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves have been mentioned in multiple reports as top suitors for Antetokounmpo, with the Lakers notably absent.
For as much as some Lakers fans would probably have mixed feelings about the team shipping off James in a trade, such a move would probably be the right one if it was going to set the team up for long-term success. A dynamic duo of Antetokounmpo and Doncic would lay the groundwork for the Lakers to contend for titles in the Western Conference for years to come.
Now is also probably the optimal time to move on from James in the sense that he still has trade value but has shown signs of decline this season as well. He’s averaging 22.0 points per game (his lowest scoring average since he was a rookie all the way back in the 2003-04 campaign) in his 23rd season at the highest level.
But all in all, Lakers faithful shouldn’t expect the squad to land Antetokounmpo anytime soon, and the tea leaves suggest that the NBA’s oldest active player will play out the 2025-26 season in Los Angeles. Still, Antetokounmpo will be a name to monitor in the coming days as the trade deadline draws closer and closer.